


I'll Roomba Into Your Heart

by Myoneloveismusic



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Android AU, M/M, NO CAPES, android!Jason
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2020-05-30 18:32:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 37,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19408969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myoneloveismusic/pseuds/Myoneloveismusic
Summary: Tim spent years trying to create a functioning android with a self-sufficient AI system. After several failures that left more destruction in their wake then Tim would've liked, he finally managed to bring one online that didn't try and kill him on sight. It gave him hope that a brighter Gotham was just around the corner. He just had no idea how much an android could teach him about humanity.





	1. Chapter 1

Tim stared at the lab table in front of him. It was propped upright, allowing the figure resting on it to nearly be standing if they were conscious. He bit the edge of his nail, trying not to focus on all the flaws that were no doubt lurking underneath the surface of his creation. 

He glanced over his shoulder at the door and hurried over to it, entering his passcode on the keypad. The metal bars slid into place and the keypad turned red, the word LOCKED in large blocky letters covering the surface and giving him the reassurance that it would keep his creation inside, or at least slow it down if it decided to run. 

Tim hurried back over to his workstation. His tablet flashed next to him, letting him know the download was completed. It had been completed for the last twenty minutes but he’d been too nervous to activate his newest android model. 

He’d put everything he had into this creation and wasn’t ready to face the possibility that it might not work. It could change security as everyone knew it. It could allow robots to work undercover and with the police force to keep civilians safe when there was danger. 

And if enough were made and were successful, they could be placed on rotating shifts that manned the streets at all hours, keeping anyone safe who was forced to go onto Gotham’s streets at night. 

“We’ll never know what could be if we don’t take the chance to know what is,” he muttered to himself as he tapped the activation commands into his tablet. 

Tim waited, chewing on his lip as the seconds ticked by. It hadn’t awoken with murderous intent yet, a continued improvement from one of the early prototypes. 

The android shifted, its limbs creaking from disuse. 

“Ugh,” it groaned, voice sounding tinny and manufactured. 

Tim frowned and reached for his tools, knocking two of them together with a tang of metal. 

The android straightened, eyes shooting open before it jumped off the table to put distance between them. 

It stumbled, legs unused to the new movement as they gave out. Tim reached out like he’d have any hope of catching it, but it collapsed, crashing to the floor in a heap of artificial limbs. 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Tim said, holding his hands up. “I’m sure you’re very confused right now, but I’m not going to hurt you.” 

“Who are you?” it asked. 

Tim winced, its words sounded like metal grinding against metal. “I built you,” he answered. 

“Built me?” it asked, looking down at its hands. 

“Yes,” Tim said, taking another step forward. “And I can help fix your voice.” 

“My...voice?” it asked, putting a hand to its throat. 

Tim nodded, feeling his anxiety diminish now that the robot wasn’t acting hostile or defensive. 

“Yes,” Tim said, closing the last bit of distance between them. He kneeled at its side. “Can I?” he asked. 

It hesitated, glancing down at the screwdriver in Tim’s hand before it nodded. 

Tim placed a hand on its chest, keeping it steady as he reached for the plate on the side of its neck. He undid the clip and carefully lined up the tip of his screwdriver with the pieces securing the voice modulator in place. He tightened it once and then again, letting the resistance of the screw guide his movements and keep him from tightening it too much. 

“How’s that?” he asked, sitting back on his heels. 

“It’s…” it said and blinked, noticing the change in speech. It glanced down before meeting Tim’s eyes, the pupils dilating and narrowing as its computer system analyzed the situation. “You really built me?” it asked. 

Tim smiled and nodded. “I did. Went through a lot to bring you here and I’m glad to finally meet you. My name is Tim,” he said, holding out his hand. 

It glanced down at Tim’s hand and cocked its head before meeting Tim’s eyes. Tim bit his lip, fighting to not find that so cute. 

“What is that?” it asked. 

Tim chuckled. “You’re supposed to grip my hand and shake it. It’s a handshake. People normally do it when they meet each other.” 

“Oh,” it said. It lifted its hand and looked at its palm before hesitantly holding it out for Tim. Tim gripped his hand and shook hands before letting go. It glanced down at its palm. “A handshake.” 

Tim nodded. “That’s right, a handshake. Do you think you could stand now? I want to make sure everything is working properly with your systems.”

It nodded. Tim pushed himself to his feet and gripped its arm, pulling it upright. It staggered, leaning against Tim’s side. The android was lighter than a person, the materials and mechanics lightweight in function to allow it to move fast, but Tim knew strength lay underneath the deception and it had the capabilities of throwing cars across lanes of traffic and ripping steel doors off hinges. 

Tim helped it straighten. He flicked the plate on the side of its neck closed and set his screwdriver on the table with the rest of his tools. He took the android’s left hand and began testing its reflexes and reactions to various pokes and prods as a doctor would to a human. 

“I’m going to need something to call you,” he muttered to himself, trying to ignore the feeling of its eyes on him. 

“Call me?” it asked. 

Tim nodded, switching to its other hand. “Yeah, a name for you. Like, my name is Tim. I need something to call you to make communication easier.” 

It hummed, head tilting to the side. Tim paused his movements, watching as the android searched the reference material that was uploaded into its system, eyes shifting and becoming cloudy with images Tim couldn’t begin to discern. 

“J.A.S.O.N,” Tim muttered under his breath. 

“What?” it asked. 

Tim smiled and glanced up at him, watching his eyes refocus. “I could call you Jason for joint-circuit artificial system operations network.” 

“Jason,” it muttered, testing the word. “I like it,” it said, lips pulling up into a tentative smile. 

Tim felt his heart jump in his chest at the android’s tender expression. 

“Oh,” he said. 

Jason frowned. “Are you alright? Your face seems to have warmed several degrees and your heart rate is elevated.” 

“Fine!” TIm said, holding up his hands as he took a step back. “And you already know how to access the medical censors. How wonderful,” he muttered, a strained chuckle slipping free. 

He turned on his heel and hurried over to his desk, grabbing his tablet to make some notes and put space between them. 

“Are you certain you’re alright?” Jason asked, following him. “Do you require medical attention at this time?” 

Tim shook his head. “Nope! No, I am certainly fine. I don’t need any assistance.” 

“I will standby in case you do find yourself in need of medical attention,” Jason said. 

Tim turned and jumped when he nearly ran into Jason standing right behind him. 

“Wow, you are...really just standing by, huh?” Tim muttered. 

“As I said I would,” Jason said with a nod. 

Tim scrubbed a hand over his face and glanced at Jason’s chest, cursing his inner desire to make his androids as attractive as possible. With the past few, the short-circuiting and murderous rages had kept him from really noticing what he’d done. 

“Alright, okay,” Tim huffed. “Maybe we should start by getting you some clothes.” 

“What’s wrong with how I am right now?” Jason asked, glancing down at its chest. 

“Let’s just say you wouldn’t be decent if we went out in public,” he muttered. 

“Out?” Jason asked. He looked around the lab, finally taking in the space around them. “Where are we?” 

“We’re in my lab. This is where I built you,” Tim answered, pulling open the silver cabinets lining the wall. He grabbed a pair of scrubs, quickly discarding them for another pair that were a size larger. He turned, nearly jumping again when he found Jason behind him. “Jesus, I’m never going to get used to that.” 

He held up the pants to Jason’s waist, glad he’d had the forethought to build Jason with boxer briefs even though there wasn’t anything to really hide. He nodded when they seemed to be a good size and handed them to Jason. He turned back to the cabinets and dug around in the shirts, finding one big enough that Tim would swim in it if he put it on, but should be enough to fit Jason well enough. 

Tim turned back to Jason and found it turning the pants over in its hands. It pulled at the waistband, looking down through the opening at the legs of the scrubs. 

“What am I supposed to do with these?” Jason asked. 

Tim pressed a hand over his mouth, stifling a laugh. “You’re supposed to put them on,” he explained. “Like how I’m wearing my pants.” 

Jason bent over and inspected Tim’s legs before he nodded. He carefully raised a leg and stuck it through the waist of the pants, forcing it through one of the pant legs. He did the same with the other and settled the elastic band around his waist. The pants fit perfectly. 

“And here’s your shirt,” Tim said, handing the top to him. 

Jason took it with careful fingers, turning it back and forth as it inspected the swath of fabric. It looked up at Tim, obviously seeking guidance and Tim held out his arms, showing Jason how the shirt was supposed to be worn. 

Jason nodded and pressed the shirt to his chest, frowning when he let it go and it fell to the floor. Tim chuckled and stooped to pick it up. 

“Here, let me help you,” he said. “You could try accessing your database and searching anything involving shirts,” he explained as he bunched up the hem to grip the neck of the shirt. He motioned for Jason to bend over and when it tilted its head forward, Tim slipped the shirt over his head. 

Jason’s eyes went distant as it searched its computer functions. “Oh,” it said, voice soft. 

It moved its arms, taking over from Tim and slipping its arms through the holes. It adjusted the hem around his waist, keeping it from getting twisted awkwardly. 

Jason looked up at him and smiled. Tim opened his mouth to say something when a banging sounded on the door. 

Jason whirled around, spreading his feet and dropping his weight into a fighting stance. It backed up, forcing Tim against the cabinets. 

“Jason-”

Jason raised its hand, the smooth outer layer unlocking as an arm cannon was revealed. Tim’s eyes widened as he heard it start charging. 

“Jason, no stop!” he cried, making a grab for Jason’s arm. 

Jason jerked at the contact, his arm cannon going off. The shot went wide of the door and hit the steel wall, the sound of the impact sounding worse than the small dent that was made in the metal. 

Tim let out a shaky breath at seeing the burn residue, but he was glad the shot hadn’t burst through the wall or caused one of the plates to fall. 

“Why did you stop me?” Jason growled, glaring at its arm as it started to reassemble. 

“Because that wasn’t a threat,” Tim said, finally pulling his trembling hands away from Jason. 

“It sounded like a threat to me,” Jason spat. 

The banging continued, frantic and desperate as it rose in intensity. Tim grabbed Jason’s arm before it could shoot again. 

“It’s just knocking!” Tim cried. “It’s just knocking. No one’s trying to get in and be a threat. Someone is just trying to get my attention. They probably sent me a notice and I didn’t get it because I’ve been working with you.” 

Jason frowned, finally focusing on Tim’s words. It glanced down at his hands and Tim bit his lip, fighting the urge to hide them behind his back. Jason’s head tilted to the side. 

“Your hands are shaking and your heart rate is elevated. And your sweat glands are releasing unnecessary excretion. Are you frightened?” it asked. 

Tim ran a hand through his hair, willing the trembling to stop after having a gallon of adrenaline dumped into his veins. 

“Just a little freaked out. I was hoping I’d finally built an android that wouldn’t go on a rampage.” 

Jason tilted its head to the side. Its eyes narrowed moments later and it glared at Tim. “I’m not going on a rampage. There was a threat and I’m supposed to defend against them.” 

“I’ll prove it’s not a threat,” Tim said, skirting around Jason towards the door where someone was still banging on the other side trying to get in. 

He hurried to the keypad and entered his correct code. Within seconds the screen turned green and the metal bars released, letting the doors slide open. 

“Tim! Are you okay? What happened? I heard an explosion! Why was the door locked? Who is that?!” Dick screeched, shoving Tim behind him. 

Jason scowled and Tim could see the sensors going crazy in his gaze. Its hands fisted at its sides and Tim knew if he didn’t intervene and help it learn it could easily be on the brink of doing more damage. 

“Dick it’s fine! We’re fine! Everything’s okay!” Tim said, squirming out of his hold to get between him and Jason. 

“Then how do you explain the explosion I heard earlier? And why is there a strange man locked in your lab with you?!” he screeched. 

“Man?” Jason muttered. 

“This is Jason,” Tim said, frantically waving behind him at the android without turning to look at him or address his question. “He’s my newest android. And the explosion you heard earlier was him getting defensive because there was a random banging on the door and can we please all calm down before someone gets shot?!” he cried, voice rising in pitch. 

He felt arms wind around his waist and stumbled as Jason pulled him back against its chest. Tim stilled, chest heaving as he fought to suck in oxygen to clear his head. His thoughts were going a million miles a minute and he was on the verge of dumping everything and running away to start a new life on a cattle ranch in Texas. 

“Tim,” Jason murmured, voice rumbling in his ear. “You need to calm down. You’re showing all the signs of having a panic attack. Breathe in, hold it for 3 seconds, and then let it out slowly. Can you do that for me?” 

Tim struggled to nod, pushing aside all thoughts that Jason really shouldn’t be this advanced for only being powered up for a few minutes at most. But he followed its instructions to the letter, sucking in a shaky breath. He held it, lungs feeling like they were going to burst, before he let it out again. 

Some of his panic ebbed and he repeated the process two more times, the tension leaving his shoulders with each breath. He swallowed, his panic finally seeping out of him and leaving him feeling about five feet beyond exhausted. 

“What weird futuristic timeline did I walk into?” Dick asked, dumbfounded. 

“Are you stupid or something?” Jason asked, steadying Tim on his feet even as it tried to nudge him behind its back. 

“Rude!” Dick gasped. “Tim, I don’t like him. Why’d you make him rude?” 

“Him?” Jason asked and looked at Tim. 

Tim rubbed his temples. “Look up pronouns and things having to do with gender. Him is a gender designation.” 

Jason paused, head tilting to the side as he focused and searched the databases he had access to. 

“Okay,” Jason said, straightening. “You can call me him.” 

Tim frowned. “You don’t have a problem with it?” 

Jason shrugged. “I don’t care much either way. But if you don’t call me him, what would you call me?” 

Tim thought about constantly referring to Jason as ‘it’ and winced. “You’re right, let’s go with that. Anyway,” he sighed. “Dick, what did you need?” 

Dick stared at them. “I stopped by to ask you if you wanted to join me for lunch. And considering how much has happened this morning, I think you should get out of the lab for a bit.” 

Tim hesitated, looking up at Jason. “I think we should bring Jason.”

Dick’s eyes widened. “You think...what?” 

“I can’t just leave him here…” 

“Tim...Tim he’s dangerous! You don’t know what he’s going to be like around other people. Someone could get hurt or he could go on a rampage!” Dick pleaded. 

“And he could do the same here,” Tim argued even though he had no doubts Jason would be fine on his own. Mostly. “Isn’t it better to keep an eye on him?” 

Dick looked between them, looking like he wanted to protest or pull Tim far, far away from Dick. 

“We can start with something easy, we can go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat. No one’s going to know the difference,” Tim explained. “This is one of the most secure buildings in the city. We’ll be safe here.” 

“I guess that would be okay...I think we should tell Bruce about this, though…” Dick hedged. 

Tim winced. 

“Bruce?” Jason asked, looking at Tim. 

“Or...we could not,” Tim said slowly. “You know he’s not going to be happy if Jason walks around the building without testing him first.” 

“Which is why you should leave him here,” Dick said. 

“He’s going to have to interact with people eventually,” he pointed out. 

“Eventually doesn’t mean right now. Come on, Tim,” Dick huffed. 

Tim glanced at Jason. “How about you go down to the cafeteria and bring something back for me? We can wait here and when you get back you can get to know Jason a little better.” 

Dick gave him a look like he was crazy, but finally nodded. “Fine. I’ll bring you something back.” He turned and froze before glaring at Tim and pointing at the wall that was still charred and covered in dust. “What is that?”

Tim grinned, trying to look as innocent as possible. “Nothing you need to worry about.” 

He muttered something under his breath and stomped towards the set of double doors, impatiently waiting the extra second it took them to slide open and let him through. 

“That guy’s a dick,” Jason spat before the doors shut all the way. 

Tim laughed, sounding a little hysterical as he tried to make sense of everything that just happened. He really did feel like he’d found some weird timeline. “Well you’re not entirely wrong. His name is Dick.” 

“Who’s Bruce?” 

Tim shuffled over to one of the available chairs and fell back into it. He scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed. “No one you need to worry about. Yet.” 

“Is he dangerous?” he asked, bristling. 

Tim shook his head. “No. He runs this company that we’re in. And he’s sort of a father figure to me. My own dad wasn’t great… But we don’t need to worry about that. How are you feeling?” 

Jason stared at him. He placed his hands over his chest and shrugged. “How should I be feeling? All my operational systems are functioning at full capacity.” 

“I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything more than that…” he muttered. “Do you have a better understanding of what you are at least? Have you gone over your complete list of systems?” 

Jason blinked, the edges of his eyes beginning to glow a faint green. Tim could see the shadow of menus scrolling across his eyes. He blinked and refocused on Tim. 

“You designed me for protection.” 

Tim shrugged and nodded. “Not for myself, but in general yes. I was hoping to create an android capable of thinking and analyzing the world around it and responding to threats to the general populace to protect the people of Gotham.” 

“Why?” 

Tim chuckled, feeling more tired than he had in a while and he wasn’t even running on two hours of sleep and six cups of coffee. 

“That is the question, isn’t it? Some people are dangerous and are willing to hurt other people to get what they want. And we want to put a stop to it. So...I created you. And maybe we’ll be a little closer to living in a peaceful world. But first, we’re going to have to work on helping you learn about the world and the city. You’ll need to know who the bad people are and who the good people are.” 

“And that guy from earlier isn’t a bad guy?” Jason asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Tim pursed his lips together, trying to hide a smile. “No, he isn’t a bad guy. He’s like a doting older brother, honestly. You’ll get to know him better. He’s in and out of my lab all the time.” 

The doors slid open and Dick walked in, carrying two plastic bags. 

“I have food!” he said, holding up the bags. 

Tim smiled and waved him over. “The lab’s still standing,” he said, pulling a chair around for Dick to sit in. After a second of thought, Tim jumped up and grabbed another chair for Jason to sit in. 

Jason looked between the chair and him and Tim smiled, taking his own seat as Dick handed him a container of food. 

Tim’s mouth watered when he pulled open the styrofoam container and found a heaping portion of mashed potatoes, two pieces of fried chicken, and a biscuit. He grabbed the biscuit and took a huge bite from the side. 

“When was the last time you ate?” Dick huffed, scooping up a forkful of his mash. 

Tim paused, thinking back over the past few hours. He swallowed. “What time is it?” 

Dick glared. “Okay, second question. How many cups of coffee have you had today?” 

Tim tilted his head to the side. “More than three.” 

Dick huffed. “You need to take better care of yourself. It doesn’t matter what Bruce ropes you into working on.” 

“I was almost done finishing Jason. I couldn’t take a break when I was so close to having him completed!” Tim argued. 

“You’ve made how many androids over the past few months? It wouldn’t have killed you to wait a few more hours to get something to eat.” 

“Does Tim often put off his own well-being in favor of focusing on his designated tasks?” Jason broke in, looking between the two of them. 

Dick brightened, a wicked grin pulling at his lips and Tim paled, feeling the biscuit he was eating stick in his throat. For all of Dick’s upbright and seemingly straight-laced nature, he also had a mischievous streak a mile wide. 

“Where do I even begin, Jason? Tim has been notorious for going days without sleep and surviving off a diet of coffee and microwave cup noodles.” 

Jason paused. “My research systems say neither of those offer proper sustenance and that humans should be getting eight to ten hours of sleep per twenty-four hour cycle.” 

“Don’t turn my own android against me!” Tim cried, pointing his fork at Dick. 

Dick cackled, head tilting back as he grinned. “It’s not turning your android against you if it’s for your own benefit. Besides, I’m sure he’ll have plenty of time to help you before B’s ready to let him go out on the streets.” 

Jason stood so abruptly Tim almost threw his food off his lap. 

Dick stopped chewing. “What’s up with him?” 

Jason faced the door, hands hanging loosely at his sides. “Someone’s coming.” 

“Someone?” Tim asked. He froze, swallowing harshly. He practically threw his food onto the table next to him and grabbed Jason’s arm. He wasn’t sure where he was going to hide him, but he needed to hide him before whoever was coming towards them got inside. 

Jason gave him a curious look as Tim tried pulling him. He didn’t budge. 

“Come on, Jason!” Tim grunted. 

“What are you doing?” he muttered. 

The doors slid open and Tim’s grip faltered. His hands slipped and he fell backwards. He closed his eyes, waiting to hit the floor when something tugged the front of his shirt and held him in place. 

Tim’s chest heaved and he opened his eyes, finding Jason had caught him by the front of his shirt. He pulled him upright and settled him back on his feet. 

“Thanks,” Tim said, trying to regain his sense of equilibrium. 

“Tim.” 

He swallowed and slowly turned to face the open doors where Bruce was standing. 

“Bruce,” he said with a nod. 

His eyes slid to Jason. “Who’s this? I didn’t realize you’d gained security clearance for someone. Normally those go through me.” 

“I don’t like this guy,” Jason muttered. 

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “Care to tell me who you are?” 

“I’m Jason.” 

“Uh-huh,” Bruce said. 

“Tim built me.” 

Bruce raised an eyebrow and glanced at Tim who was willing himself to sink through the floor. 

“And when, Tim, were you going inform me you’d built another working android?” 

Tim grimaced. “Once I knew he was operational?” he hedged. 

“Tim can I speak with you out in the hall for a moment?” 

He nodded and shuffled across the lab towards Bruce whose eyes lingered on Jason and Dick for a moment. He turned on his heel and followed Tim into the hall, moving far enough away the doors would slide shut and cut their conversation off from Dick who stayed inside. 

Tim suspected Jason would be able to hear everything they were saying since he knew Bruce was coming before he’d walked through the doors. 

“The last two androids practically self-destructed when they came online,” Bruce started. 

He nodded. “I know they did, but I was certain I fixed the programming issue this time. And I did! Jason hasn’t done anything murderous since he woke up.” 

“Then what was that scorch mark on the wall?” 

“A minor miscommunication. Dick was pounding on the doors to my lab and Jason registered it as a threat, but that’s because he didn’t know any better yet! He’s learning and I know we’ll get to the point where he doesn’t have any problems recognizing proper threats and people who are just overly excited.” 

“Why do you keep referring to the android as he?” 

Tim shrugged. “He said it was okay. And it’s better than calling him it. He’ll need to be able to function in society and be perceived as human.”

“So you named him and gave him pronouns?” 

Tim shrugged and nodded. 

Bruce sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“I want a report by the end of next week detailing his developmental process. He doesn’t leave that lab until I give strict approval that he’s okay to mingle with other humans and won’t blow a gasket.” 

Tim nodded. “Okay. But he’s already been around Dick for more than five minutes and hasn’t killed him yet.” 

Bruce pursed his lips together and Tim knew he was trying not to smile. It was good to know he wasn’t  _ really _ angry and was more irked by not having been told Tim was getting ready to bring Jason online. 

Not surprising considering Tim’s old lab was still quarantined and undergoing repairs after the last explosion. 

Bruce nodded towards the doors. “Go on. We can talk more later. And we  _ are  _ going to talk.” 

Tim nodded and hurried back through the doors. Jason was watching him with keen eyes and Tim knew he’d heard every word that was said. Dick was oblivious to what transpired, happy to keep eating his lunch. 

Tim shuffled over to his chair and picked up his food, picking at the mashed potatoes that had cooled slightly in his absence. 

“So, what did Bruce want?” Dick asked around a mouthful of food. 

“Oh, the usual,” Tim said with a shrug. “Wants a report from me next week. You know how it is.” 

Jason was silent as he sat back down and Tim tried not to think of what he might be analyzing right now. 


	2. Chapter 2

Dick hung around and chatted until they’d both finished eating. He pulled out a pair of cookies and handed one to Tim before he said he needed to run and meet up with Wally. 

Tim chewed on his cookie, eyeing Jason who still sat next to him after Dick was gone. 

“Why’d you risk bringing me online when the past few androids haven’t worked?” Jason asked. “Bruce was right when he said it was dangerous.” 

He shrugged. “I was willing to take that chance. Just like I was willing to take the chance with the last few androids. You’re functional at this point. And as much as I hate leaving you alone here at night, it’s the safest place for you and everyone else as we learn more about your system control and work out general social interactions.” Tim smirked. “Not that anyone would be able to take you in a fight if you piss them off, that is.” 

He let out a breath before continuing. “If I’d known you’d be up and running today I would’ve had a cot or bed set up for you in here.” 

Jason tilted his head. “Why would I need a bed? I’ll just shut down my systems to recharge. A bed isn’t necessary.” 

“Maybe not, but I would think it would still be more comfortable for you,” Tim muttered. 

“I don’t think I understand…” 

“We have...a lot of work to do, don’t we?” Tim sighed, starting to feel a little overwhelmed at the task at hand. 

Jason shrugged. “I guess.” 

“I’ll need to set up a target range for you to test your weapons, we’ll need to go over etiquette in public, and how to determine who needs your protection…” 

Jason huffed and crossed his arms. He leaned back in his chair and focused on a spot in the distance. Tim watched, enraptured as Jason accessed his inner databanks. Jason’s eyes glowed faintly around the edges. 

Tim blindly reached for his tablet, swiping it from the table next to him. He opened a new document and started making notes on Jason’s work process, taking down the current time to calculate how long Jason’s research might last. 

After five minutes passed and Jason stayed still, Tim jumped up and crossed the room to his desk. He loaded more grounds into his coffee pot and set it to brew, keeping an eye on Jason in case he came out of his trance. 

He waited impatiently for his coffee to brew, knowing at any second Jason could be done with whatever he’d chosen to do and Tim would need to make as many notes as he could for his log. 

Tim jumped when the coffee maker started to percolate, the sudden change catching him off guard since he’d frozen, nearly falling into his own trance while faced with Jason. 

He swallowed, grabbing one of the few clean coffee cups he had left. He’d need to clean things up soon. The past week had practically been a marathon of working and building and he’d only been saved over the weekend when Dick dragged him to the Manor for one of Alfred’s famous dinners. 

He dumped some sugar into the bottom and pulled the full pot from the coffeemaker. He was careful not to spill any as he poured himself a cup and replaced the pot in its cradle. 

Tim sipped at his coffee and reclaimed his seat, perching his tablet in his lap in case he needed to make any notes. He settled in, ready to wait as long as it took before Jason finished what he was doing. 

~~

Tim felt himself tilt forward and jerked back, blinking his eyes open. Jason sat unmoving across from him, eyes still glowing a faint green. 

Tim glanced down at his tablet and saw several hours had passed since he last made a note. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep, but it was probably somewhere close to a few hours at this point. 

He checked the time and found it was creeping into late evening. The rest of the office would no doubt be a ghost town at this point. He stretched his arms over his head, feeling his back pop in several places. He groaned, sagging against the back of his chair. 

Tim rubbed at his eyes, trying to clear away the groggy feeling that clung to him after his impromptu nap. He sighed and glanced around his messy lab and then back at Jason. 

He wasn’t sure how much longer Jason was going to do research, but the least he could do would be to clean up his space a bit while he waited. 

He set his tablet on the table next to him and stood, slowly collecting the dirty coffee mugs covering most available surfaces in the lab. He carried his cups over to the large sink and set them into the deep well before turning on the tap to heat the water. 

Tim let his mind wander as he started to clean the pile of dirty mugs. He briefly focused on Jason before pushing that from his mind. He’d had a busy day and if he got caught up in everything that needed to be done he’d just get a headache again. 

Bits of a song he’d heard on the radio came to mind and he started humming along to the melody, pausing every now and then as he tried to remember how the next part went. 

After finishing the mugs, he glanced over his shoulder at Jason, finding he was still in the same spot. Tim moved over to his desk and started sorting through his papers that covered the entire surface in haphazard stacks. 

Several of the sheets were wrinkled from coffee stains and questionable grease when he managed to eat something while engrossed in his work. He sorted them into relevant piles, tossing the outdated company memos that’d managed to sneak in into the recycling bin. 

To save a bit of extra time, he grabbed a stack of post-its and placed one on each of his stacks, labeling what they were for easy reference next time. 

He turned, ready to get to the other table in his lab when his eyes landed on the empty chair Jason had been sitting in. 

“Oh no,” he murmured, dropping the post-its and his pen. “Oh no, oh no, oh no. Jason?!” he cried, turning in a circle to look over every inch of his empty lab. 

“Shit, shit, shit, shit,” he bit out, running towards the doors. The doors he hadn’t locked after his conversation with Bruce. 

They slid open and he rushed through them, sprinting down the hall towards the elevators. His lab took up most of the floor aside from a pair of bathrooms and he doubted of all the places to go that Jason would head there. 

A realization hit him and he slowed. 

“Wait, what am I doing?” he muttered and turned back to his lap, racing for the doors again. He charged towards the table he hadn’t organized and swiped his tablet from the surface. He logged into the W.E. mainframe in seconds and pulled up the security feed. 

Most of the halls were empty thanks to the late hour, leaving a minimal chance for Jason to run into anyone else. Tim spotted him two floors down, peeking through the office windows of all the dark rooms. 

Tim gripped his tablet tightly in his hand and made for the doors again. He skipped the elevator and pushed through the door to the stairs, feet pounding on the concrete steps as he flew past the floor below him and made for the next one. 

He yanked the door open and skidded through, nearly slamming into Jason’s chest. 

“You!” he said, fighting to catch his breath as he pointed a finger at Jason. “Why did you disappear on me like that?” 

“I finished my research and thought it would be best to test out what I’d found on the human populace,” Jason answered. 

“Now isn’t the time for that Jason,” Tim huffed, shoulders sagging. “Everyone in this building has gone home except for the security guard.” 

“Then why are you here?” Jason asked, tilting his head to the side. 

“I’m here to make sure you don’t get into anymore trouble,” Tim said, grabbing his hand and pulling him over to the elevators. He was surprised when Jason came so easily since he could overpower him without straining his circuitry. 

He jabbed the up arrow and only had to wait a few seconds before it dinged and the doors opened. He tugged Jason inside and hit the button for his floor, waiting impatiently as the doors slid shut and they climbed the two floors back to his lab. 

“You should really go home,” Jason said as they walked down the hall to the lab doors. “You need sleep like everyone else.” 

Tim paused next to the lab table. He set down his tablet and hesitated. Despite the nap he’d had earlier, he was still feeling exhausted, more so after running down two flights of stairs to catch Jason. 

“Go home,” Jason said, nudging him towards the door. “Your body needs sleep and you’re not going to be rested here.” 

Tim bit his lip, staring at Jason. “I’ll be fine on my own, I promise. I won’t go running off and will stay here until you come back. I can use the time to do some more research.” 

Tim nodded. “Okay,” he sighed. “Okay.” 

He grabbed his phone and his keys before shuffling towards the door. He hesitated, shooting one last glance at Jason who waved him off. He nodded and stepped through the double doors, hoping he wasn’t making a huge mistake. 

~~

Tim thought he was going to struggle going to sleep after leaving Jason alone in the lab, but as soon as his head hit the pillow he was out for the night. 

His alarm went off, sending his heart into a panic as he jolted up in bed. 

“Fuck,” he breathed, scrubbing his hands over his face as his phone continued its not-so-cheery tune. He grabbed his phone and silenced it, jumping out of bed to get dressed and head to W.E. 

Tim didn’t give much thought as to what he needed to wear. He pulled on a pair of jeans and threw on a clean tee. He shoved his feet into a pair of converse and bypassed his kitchen, not even bothering to take the time to make coffee. 

He grabbed his keys and locked up his apartment, rushing down to the parking garage to hop in his car and hopefully beat Gotham’s morning traffic. 

Tim peeled out of the garage and took a hard right, merging across two lanes of traffic with ease. He took the next left, stifling a yawn behind his hand as his brain still fought to wake up the rest of the way. 

He slowed as he approached the parking garage and pulled out his ID badge. The guard looked up from his book as Tim approached and waved him in as he showed his badge, lifting the gate blocking his path. 

Tim waved and navigated the garage, easily finding an open space near the elevator. He parked and grabbed his ID before locking up the car and boarding the elevator that was miraculously waiting for him. 

He tapped his foot as he slowly climbed the floors of the building, anxious to get off at his lab. The entire building wasn’t on fire so that was one positive. 

Tim sighed when the elevator slowed and stopped at his floor. He slipped through the doors before they were open all the way and rushed to the double doors of his lab which opened as he neared. 

Jason looked up at his entrance, holding his tablet in his lap. He was slumped in one of the chairs and had his feet propped up on the other. 

“I wasn’t expecting you to be back yet. Humans require a minimum of eight hours of sleep and it’s only been about seven and a half since you left. When you count in travel time and what it requires to maintain a proper cleaning regimen-”

“I got plenty of sleep,” Tim said, waving away his comments and crossing the room to stand next to him. “And I took care of everything that I needed to.” 

Jason tilted his head and his eyes narrowed, roving over every inch of him. “My sensors are telling me that your hair and skin are still saturated with yesterday’s oils meaning you haven’t showered or cleaned yourself. You also seem to be rather exerted at such an early hour. I’m guessing you haven’t eaten anything to give your body adequate fuel.” 

Tim stared. “How do you...how do you know all that?” 

“All of what? It’s rather easy to get a read on your vitals and skin saturation with my enhanced eyesight, I can see the finer details of your skin and hair. I’ve also spent my night researching humans and their needs to better communicate with anyone I might encounter.” 

“You’re going to have no problem blending in with them. As long as you keep comments like that out of general conversation with people who don’t know about you,” Tim muttered. “This is incredible, though. You have the ability to offer insight upon meeting a person. That could be imperative when in the field and you need to assess a situation. We should do some testing on your weapons and then pretty soon we might be able to introduce you to more people. Let’s get to work,” he said, straightening as his gaze sharpened. 

“Not until you’ve gotten sufficient sustenance for the day,” Jason said, standing. “I have no doubts that these tests are going to require hours of focus and concentration. You need proper fuel before we can begin.” 

“I’m fine,” he argued, stepping closer to Jason to take the tablet from his hands. 

Jason raised the tablet over Tim’s head, keeping it out of reach. “You may be functioning at a sufficient level right now, but I hardly think the state of your health is fine. And if it goes on much longer, you might be faced with a shutdown in order to recover.” 

“I’ll be fine, I’ve done it before,” Tim huffed, trying to reach the tablet Jason held over his head. 

“Then I really can’t allow you to put off your well-being,” Jason said. 

Tim squawked when Jason’s arm snaked around his waist and lifted him from his feet. 

“Jason!” Tim cried as he was settled over Jason’s shoulder in a fireman carry. He watched, helpless, as his tablet was set on the table and they walked away from it towards the doors. “Where are you taking me?!” 

“Down to the cafeteria. Someone should be down there at this hour,” Jason answered. 

“Jason!” he cried again, struggling against his hold. 

Jason didn’t even have to work to keep him in place over his shoulder as they entered the elevator Tim just left and rode down to the first floor. He hung limply, feeling miserable and humiliated at being carried around. 

He could only hope that no one would see them like this and Jason would let him walk up to the lab on his own when they were done. 

“Hey,” Tim said as Jason navigated the halls. “How do you know where to go?” 

“I uploaded the blueprints of the building into my data system. You can tell me a room number and I’ll know exactly how to get there.” 

“Huh…” Tim said, mind already taking off. “Would you be able to do the same with visual blueprints? Although, if we knew you were going to be involved, we could just have the data in hand and it wouldn’t be a problem… Although haven’t you already memorized some stuff? You were using the tablet.” 

“I remember everything I come into contact with because I can store it all in my memory banks with my data connection,” Jason explained like Tim wasn’t the one who built him. “Doesn’t matter if it’s something I access through my data connection, something that’s uploaded to my systems, or something I read or view on my own.” 

Tim was silent for a moment. “Okay...okay, so I know I built you and designed you and everything, but I just have to say that you’re still so freaking cool!” he gushed. “This is the kind of stuff I only dreamed about as a kid and now here I am years later having built one that works!” 

Jason shifted him in his arms and gently set him on his feet. Tim grinned up at him, still feeling giddy that this was his life and he’d made a working android. 

“We can test all of that later. First you need to get some food,” Jason said, pointing to the doors behind them. 

Tim huffed and rolled his eyes. He turned and walked through the doors to the cafeteria, surprised to find the workers behind the counter. They looked up at their entrance and smiled. 

“Good morning. We’re just getting everything started, but can get you something to eat as it cooks. What are you two looking for?” the woman asked. 

“Whatever you have for him,” Jason said. “I don’t require sustenance.” 

The woman gave him a curious look and Tim bit his lip to try and stifle a grin. 

“Sure,” she said slowly. “We’ve got some sausage and eggs cooking and I think there’s some pancake batter mixed up. Have a seat where you like and we can bring it out to you when it’s ready. Coffee?” 

“Yes, please!” Tim called as Jason said “No.” 

Jason glared at him and Tim stuck his tongue out at him. The woman behind the counter chuckled at them. 

Tim picked the table closest to the counter to keep the workers from walking farther than they had to since serving people wasn’t exactly in their job description. 

“Maybe next time when you’re talking about food, you don’t call it sustenance,” Tim suggested when Jason sat across from him. 

Jason shrugged. “I call it what it is.” 

Tim crossed his arms and watched Jason, his excitement growing. Part of him couldn’t believe he was here during such an important scientific breakthrough. He couldn’t wait to see what kind of advancements this would bring and what else Jason had in store. 

~~

Tim covered his ears as Jason destroyed another target at the end of the lab. The floor was covered with pieces of cardboard and metal from their various trials of Jason’s abilities. 

He was a little disappointed they didn’t have anything better than a hologram to test his fighting abilities, but they’d do what they could at this early stage. 

He briefly mourned not giving Jason the ability to fly and thought about doing a series of upgrades later if he found that could be useful. It would save on travel costs if they ever needed him to travel long distances quickly. And if there was any threat of a large building being blown up or catching on fire, Jason could help rescue anyone at risk. 

Tim’s fingers itched to grab his tablet and start working on some schematics and the mechanics of what would be needed to support such features. 

Jason’s arm remorphed into a human looking arm and he lowered it, turning back to Tim. 

“Is that all?” 

Tim nodded, lowering his hands from his ears. “That’s everything I’ve got for now. Although...how do you feel about flying?” 

“I don’t have feelings for it or against it.” 

“Of course you don’t,” Tim sighed. He wouldn’t be so lucky as to have built an android possible of sharing his excitement. 

He heard the doors slide open behind him and turned to find Bruce and Dick standing in the doorway, looking shocked by the destruction surrounding the lab. 

“I thought you’d fixed all chance of explosions?” Bruce asked. 

“Unintentional explosions, yeah,” Tim said. “This was because we’re testing Jason’s abilities.” 

“They seem to be working,” Bruce said, taking quick stock of the damage. “As long as that’s what’s supposed to be left after he did whatever you wanted him to.” 

“This is exactly what we were looking for. Jason’s combat is also promising, but we can’t know for sure until he has something physical to fight instead of a hologram. I have videos, if you’d like to review them.” He scrolled through the footage he’d saved in Jason’s folder and held out the tablet to Bruce. 

Bruce glanced at Jason and took the tablet from Tim’s hand, watching the screen. 

“We should probably get our mess cleaned up,” Tim sighed. He walked over to one of the closets and grabbed the broom stowed inside. Jason followed him around the floor, watching him sweep up the destruction they’d left behind. 

“The cleaning crew is going to hate me for this,” he muttered, watching some of the charred pieces leave streaks across the pristine floor. 

“Do you have a bucket and some soap and water?” Jason asked. 

“There’s a bucket and a mop in the closet. I’m not sure if there’s soap in there or not. You might be able to pull some from under the sink.” 

He heard Jason digging around in the closet he pulled the broom from. A few minutes later the sink turned on and he heard the faint sound of a bottle being squeezed. Tim glanced over his shoulder and found Jason pulling the bucket from the sink and setting it on the floor. 

He stuck the mop inside it to soak up some of the water before he started mopping up the remnants of their carnage. 

“His accuracy is really quite incredible,” Bruce murmured, making Tim pause. “Are you going to have to upgrade his systems to maintain that accuracy?” 

“At this point I’m not sure if I’ll need to recalibrate his senses as much as I’ll be upgrading him to keep all systems current and that will naturally develop as well. That’ll be something I continue to consider moving forward,” Tim said, grabbing a trashcan and dustpan to pick up the large pile of wood and metal he’d swept up. 

“I also see you had no problem taking him out of the lab after he was here all night. Although, it was less you taking him out of the lab and him taking you,” Bruce said, narrowing his eyes. 

Tim ducked his head, feeling his cheeks heat up. 

“He took me down to the cafeteria to get some breakfast. I rushed back here this morning to make sure everything was still standing and didn’t grab anything on my way out and Jason was...concerned.” 

Bruce hummed and tapped his finger on his tablet. “Tim, I think you should come up to my office with me and we can discuss what you’ve learned so far. Dick can stay here and watch him.” 

Tim blinked. “Um...okay? Why can’t we talk here?” 

“I think it would be best if we go upstairs.” 

Tim sighed. “Okay.” He leaned his broom against the wall and gave Jason one last look. He didn’t seem concerned Tim was leaving and was still taking his time in cleaning up their mess. 

Tim shuffled towards the door, following Bruce into one of the elevators as they rode to the top floor where his office was located. 

Bruce’s secretary looked up as they stepped off and smiled at them both. 

“Good morning, Mr. Wayne,” he greeted. “And Mr. Drake.” 

Tim nodded at him as they passed. Bruce pulled open the door to his office and let Tim enter first before shutting the door tightly behind them. 

They sat on the couches facing each other and Tim tried not to shrink under Bruce’s gaze like he was a little kid in trouble with his father. 

“Tim,” Bruce sighed. “I’m worried.” 

“About?” he hedged. 

“I think you’re forgetting that Jason is still a machine and not a real person. You’re treating him like he has feelings and understands everything humans do.” 

Tim frowned. “But he was designed to blend in with humans as much as possible. And as for emotions, how do humans experience them? Yes, part of it has to do with the brain’s chemical balance, but they can also reflect our thoughts, observances, and experiences. Jason is able to observe and think like anyone else. I think it’s possible he could experience emotions on some level, or get to a point where he could. After all, he’ll need to be able to determine what’s right and wrong in order to help people and offer them his protection.” 

“Perhaps what you’re saying is true,” Bruce volunteered. “And he is capable of developing emotions for human understanding and connection. But you just brought him online yesterday. Metaphorically, he’s still just a child learning about the world and where he belongs in it. Children aren’t the most capable of understanding their emotions and I don’t see why Jason would be any different.” 

Tim opened his mouth to argue, but Bruce raised a hand to stop him. 

“I know that you don’t agree with what I’m saying. But I think we should bring in a few more researchers to assist with tests and supervise since they’ll have less bias. You can’t watch him all the time either and I won’t allow you to run yourself into the ground because of how attached you are to your creation. As much as you want to believe he’s advanced and emotionally capable, he’s still a machine.” 

Tim bit his tongue, trying to tamp down the flash of anger that left him wanting to stand up and shout at Bruce for not trusting him and believing he knew what he was doing. 

“Who?” he bit out, knowing he already had someone in mind.

“Marcus and Georgia, first of all. I might have one or two more, but I think they would be a good addition for the moment.”

Tim nodded. “Is that all?” 

Bruce sighed. “Yes, that’s all.” 

Tim pushed himself up from the couch and somehow managed to keep from stomping from the room like a little kid who’d had his toy taken away. He gave a tight smile to the secretary and jabbed the down button for the elevator, relieved when it opened in seconds. 

He pressed the button for his floor and crossed his arms, willing the elevator to make it to his floor without stopping. He didn’t need to get in more trouble for taking his anger out on someone who had no idea what was going on with him. 

The doors slid open and he hurried to his lab, grinding his teeth together. Dick glanced up from where he was splayed out in a chair. Jason paused his mopping and looked him up and down. Even with the distance between them, he could still see the frown pulling at Jason’s lips. 

“What’s wrong?” Jason asked, putting down the mop and striding over to him. 

“Nothing,” he bit out, ducking his head. 

“Oooo that bad, huh?” Dick said, sitting up. “What did he say?” 

“Bruce wants to add more researchers to my team to keep an eye on Jason. He thinks I’m too biased,” Tim spat. 

“Shit,” Dick said. 

“He can’t just-” 

Tim cut himself off when Jason placed a hand on his shoulder, his anger draining from him. He turned to look up at Jason. 

“You’re more than just a machine,” he swore. “I don’t care what anyone else tries to tell you. You’re not just a tool for anyone else to use.” 

Jason cocked his head, but didn’t say anything. 

Tim sighed, once again faced with the weight of what he was trying to do. 

“Maybe you should take the day off?” Dick suggested. “You’ve been hard at work. No one’s going to blame you for taking some time. Bruce is already going to add more researchers to your team. They can handle it for you.” 

Tim shook his head. He didn’t want to leave Jason in anyone else’s hands until he had the chance to talk to the people Bruce was bringing in. 

“I need coffee,” he muttered, turning towards the pot he kept in his lab. He pulled out the bag of grounds and dumped them into the top, filling it with water and setting it to brew within minutes. He braced his hands on the counter and waited for his coffee to be ready. He heard movement behind him, but didn’t look. 

The wet slap of a mop sounded in the corner and Tim knew Jason had gone back to cleaning the floor. 

“You want any, Dick?” Tim muttered. 

“No, I’m okay,” Dick said, voice soft and sad. 

Tim nodded, grabbing a clean mug from the drainboard. The coffeemaker spluttered before sweet caffeine dribbled into the pot. 

He heard the doors slide open behind him and refused to look, waiting for the pot to fill. Dick was murmuring softly and once the pot was full, Tim poured the steaming coffee into his mug, filling it almost to the brim. 

He took a careful sip and sighed, shoulders slumping with exhaustion. 

“Tim?” 

He nodded to himself and turned around, finding the two researchers Bruce mentioned earlier waiting for him next to Dick. 

“Marcus and Georgia?” he asked. 

They nodded. 

“The researchers,” Jason said, appearing at his side. 

“Is this it?” Marcus asked, stepping forward with glittering eyes. 

“This is Jason,” Tim said, gesturing to him. “I hope you’ll help me take good care of him.” 

Georgia cleared her throat. “Not to be rude, sir, but should you really be referring to the android as him?” 

“Jason was designed with the hopes of him being integrated seamlessly into society. He has no problem with being referred to using he/him pronouns. And wouldn’t it be better to get him accumulated to it rather than referring to him as ‘it’ in private and referring to him differently in public?” 

Georgia cleared her throat and Tim felt a flash of satisfaction. 

“Tim,” Dick hissed. 

Tim sighed and took a long sip from his cup. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I shouldn’t take my anger out on you, I’m just a little protective.” 

Georgia offered a small smile. “I think I can understand your wariness in bringing virtual strangers into this. We’d love to hear everything you’ve done with Jason so far. Mr. Wayne did mention that you’ve tested his weapons already.” 

Tim nodded. “I have some videos you can review later. Jason’s also skilled in hand-to-hand combat. At least against the hologram. We’ll need to find another way to test those abilities without causing injury to anyone.”

“Another android?” Marcus asked. 

Tim shrugged. “Probably. We’d need to get an idea of his capabilities and strengths before putting him against anyone.” 

Marcus pulled a small notepad and pen from his shirt pocket. “Are you thinking it will need the capabilities you gave Jason? Or just to hold up against a barrage of attacks and be able to retaliate?”

“Hold its own in a fight, really,” Tim said. “And determine fighting patterns to offer a challenge.” 

“That shouldn’t be too hard to put together,” Georgia said. “We could use some of the same technology you did for Jason, but put the emphasis on fighting and recognizing patterns instead of the artificial intelligence. What kind of supplies do you have?” 

“Not enough to build another robot. Especially if this one is going to be heavy duty. I’ve got wires and circuit boards and some metal plates. It’s enough to get a start, but we’ll need more to complete the android,” he explained with a shrug. 

“We can start putting a list together. Do you have some extra paper we can use for designs?” 

Tim waved at the table. Georgia grabbed some lined paper and started making her own notes, taking a seat on one of the stools. Marcus sat next to her, starting a rough design sketch. 

“Not so bad, huh?” Dick whispered, sliding up next to Tim. 

Tim shrugged. “I guess not. We’ll see though, it’s still early.” 

Dick chuckled. “I’ll leave all of you to it. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll bring lunch around later.” 

He raised an eyebrow and took another long sip of coffee. 

Dick winked and strode towards the door, leaving them alone. 

“You seem to have calmed down,” Jason said. “Your heart rate has returned to normal.” 

“I’m not as angry as I was when I left Bruce’s office, that’s for sure.” He glanced up and found Jason watching him, green tinted eyes boring into him. 

Tim swallowed, slightly unnerved by the attention. 

“Hey, do either of you want some coffee?” Tim asked, turning his attention back to Marcus and Georgia. 

“Coffee would be great!” they both called. 

Tim nodded and spun on his heel, putting as much distance between him and Jason as he could. He filled two more mugs with coffee, but before he could pick them up, Jason’s hands wrapped around the fine ceramic, inches from his skin. 

Tim jerked back, looking up at Jason. 

“I’ve got it,” he said, voice soft. 

Tim watched him carry the mugs to the two researchers, setting them in front of their work. They smiled at Jason and Tim felt his stomach flip. He swallowed and Jason straightened, looking over at him. 

Tim ducked his head, intent on avoiding Jason’s gaze. 


	3. Chapter 3

“So I’ve got to ask,” Marcus started as they all sat around eating the lunch Dick brought from the cafeteria. 

“Hm?” Tim asked. 

“Why does Jason have a white streak in his hair?” 

Tim felt himself flush and shifted in his seat. “Well, you see…” he sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. “I accidentally spilled some chemicals on his hair when I was implanting it.” 

“And you didn’t think to make more so it would all match?” Georgia added. 

Tim shrugged, not wanting to admit that he was running on so little sleep he didn’t have the energy to even consider making another lock of synthetic hair for Jason. And that he was also vehemently trying not to stare at how good a single lock of white hair looked on him. 

“Maybe I’ll be compelled to in the future,” he mumbled. 

A comfortable silence fell over their group. Tim felt like Jason had been observing him more closely since he came back from his meeting with Bruce. He wanted to talk to him about it, but they hadn’t gotten a chance to be alone and considering he had no idea what was going through Jason’s head, he didn’t want anything embarrassing to come out. 

“Well, as fun as this has been for me, I should get going,” Dick said, pushing himself to his feet. 

Tim gave him a little wave as he collected his lunch remnants. “Say ‘hi’ to Wally for me.” 

Dick grinned. “Of course!” 

They watched the doors slide shut behind Dick’s back. 

“Well,” Georgia said, setting her empty food container to the side, “I guess we should make a plan of who’s watching Jason when. Do you want mornings or nights Tim?” 

“Why those two options specifically?” 

She smiled. “Because, considering we were brought to help you out with this, I doubt you’d be willing to take second shift. As long as there are people here, I know you’re not going to want to leave in the middle of the day. So, would you rather stay up late or wake up early?” 

“Nights then,” he muttered. 

“I can take the mornings if you’re fine with coming in later in the afternoon?” she asked, turning to Marcus. 

He shrugged and nodded. 

“We’ll start tomorrow then,” she sighed. 

~~

Tim grabbed his phone and keys and hesitated. Marcus and Georgia left a few hours before to head home and he’d dawdled around the lab making excuses of working on their combat android. 

That is, until Jason pulled him away from the work and told him to go home and get some rest. 

“Are you sure you’re going to be fine?” he asked. 

Jason rolled his eyes and crossed his arms making Tim wonder where he’d picked up that behavior. 

“I’m going to be fine. I was fine when you left me here last night. No one’s going to barge in and fight me since the building is empty except for you,” he huffed. 

“Fair point,” Tim muttered. He glanced at the door and back at Jason.

“What is it?” he groaned. 

“I have a question.” 

“About?” 

“You seem pretty fine with the added researchers watching over you like you’re something dangerous,” Tim huffed. 

“Was that your question?” 

Tim gestured vaguely, too tired to try and put a coherent sentence together. 

“I understand Bruce’s thought process. It makes sense that he wants to make sure I’m not a threat to anyone else and since you created me, there is the chance for extra bias. Not that that’s a bad thing. You’re showing me more care than everyone else considering I’m not a real person. I’m interested. You’re kind of like a puzzle that I want to solve.” 

Tim stared at him, feeling more confused than he had earlier. 

“Right…” he said slowly. “I think I’m going to go home now.” 

Later, he would swear he saw Jason smile at his comment, but when he looked back, Jason’s expression was as blank as could be. 

He shook his head and left the lab behind, heading for the elevator. His sense of normalcy had been turned on its head and he could only hope he’d find his equilibrium again soon.

~~

Tim was restless the next morning when he woke up and couldn’t go into work right away. He paced circles around his apartment, willing the time to go faster. He somehow managed to eat breakfast and even made coffee, but that didn’t kill nearly enough time. 

He hunched his shoulders as he walked through the double doors to his lab. Georgia looked up from her work at the main table and frowned. 

“You weren’t supposed to be here until later,” she said. “Nothing’s wrong, is it?” 

He shook his head. “No...just got restless at home.” 

She clicked her tongue and hunched over the table, returning to work. “We need to get you a hobby.” 

Tim shrugged and glanced around the lab. Jason was off in the far corner, eyes trained on him. Tim turned to face him and walked across the floor, glad for the distance it was putting between himself and Georgia. 

“You’re early,” Jason commented as he approached. 

Tim shrugged. “How did it go last night?” 

“It was fine.” He smiled. “Quiet.” 

Tim returned his smile and dropped to the floor, sitting cross-legged across from him. 

“I spent the night doing some more research before shutting down for a couple hours. Georgia actually woke me up when she came in.” 

“Find anything interesting in your web hunting?” 

Jason’s piercing gaze returned and he fought not to be unnerved by it, unsure if he was doing it on purpose or if there was another reason behind it. 

“Yeah, I guess you could say I did,” he said. 

Tim nodded. Jason’s gaze stayed on him and he cleared his throat, unsure what to say. 

“Hey Tim?” Georgia called. 

“What is it?” 

“I’ve done about as much work as I can on this for the time being. We need more parts.” 

Tim nodded and pushed himself to his feet. “Do you have a list of what you need?” 

“Right here for you.” She tapped the list and Tim read it over her shoulder. 

“Getting that shouldn’t be a problem. I can talk to Bruce later and see if we can get this restocked. Some of the other labs might even-”

The doors slid open, catching their attention. Tim glanced up and frowned when Bruce walked in with two men. 

“Bruce,” he greeted, walking around the table to intercept them. “What can I do for you?” 

“This is Arthur Hartl and Stephen Carlisle. They have a special interest in meeting Jason and the technology behind his design,” Bruce explained, pointing to each man in turn. 

“We think it’s incredible what you’ve managed to do, from what we’ve heard anyway, and would love to see the android in person to evaluate its capabilities in the hopes of establishing a timeline when this technology might be expected to be used in the field,” Arthur said, stepping forward. 

“Please remember that Jason is still in the early stages and we haven’t had a chance to evaluate the extent of what  _ he’s  _ capable of,” Tim said, smiling tightly. 

Arthur and Stephen’s expressions became confused. 

“I can show you some of the tests we ran yesterday with his weapons systems,” Tim explained, swiping his tablet from the table and pulling up the videos from the day before. He handed them off and watched as Arthur and Stephen crowded next to each other to watch. 

Their expressions morphed into delight as the video played. 

“This is incredible. This machine is the best kind of advancement we could hope for,” Stephen said. “What else can it do?” 

“ _ He  _ can also analyze data and draw information from the web and various databases to gather the most accurate idea of events or news stories,” Tim continued, trying to keep his anger in check. 

Stephen and Arthur shared an excited look. 

“Can we see it?” Arthur asked. 

“Listen-”

“Tim,” Bruce cut in before he could throw some rather choice words at the two of them. “Get Jason for them please.” 

“Not necessary,” Jason said, speaking up behind them. “I’m perfectly capable of making my way over here on my own since you wish to speak to me.” He stepped around Tim and approached the men looking at him with excitement and awe. 

Tim crossed his arms and chewed on his bottom lip, wishing he could step in and push everyone from the room. Jason was already so much more than a weapon and Tim was quickly realizing that what he thought was going to be an easy process of developing the technology and handing it over to the city and law enforcement was becoming so much harder. 

“It is quite impressive,” Stephen said, turning to speak with Bruce. “Perhaps we can discuss the details of a possible partnership. We’d like to implement this technology as quickly as we can.” 

“That seems like a rather foolish idea,” Jason muttered. 

“Sorry, what?” Stephen asked. 

“A foolish idea,” Jason repeated. “Bruce has already shared his concerns over my systems remaining untested, yet you seem to have no qualms of possibly putting a large number of people at risk when you’ve only observed me from a few videos and a brief period of inspection.” 

Stephen’s joy dimmed and he chuckled awkwardly. He glanced at Arthur. “A defect in his programming, I’m sure.” 

Tim ground his teeth together and glared at them. 

“Gentlemen, perhaps we should take this conversation up to my office,” Bruce broke in, gesturing towards the doors. 

They nodded and started chattering in hushed voices as they neared the doors. Tim had no doubt Jason heard every word they were saying even after the doors slid shut behind them. 

“The nerve of those guys,” Tim scoffed, his anger finally getting the best of him. “I can’t believe them. They think you’re nothing more than a machine with no ability to think or process. You’re not just a tool, I don’t care what they say! Don’t listen to them Jason!” 

Jason stared at him, eyes adjusting as a faint ring of green colored the edges. “Why are you experiencing such intense emotions on my behalf?” he asked. 

Tim blinked, some of his anger draining out of him at Jason’s questions. 

Georgia snickered behind them and Tim’s face flamed. 

“I think I’ll leave you two alone to talk this over,” she said. 

Tim shifted when he heard the hiss of the doors opening and closing. 

“Tim?” Jason prompted. 

“I don’t really know how to explain this,” he started. “It’s just you’re...you’re not just a machine. You’re already developing your own personality after two days and you’re your own person. It’s important that other people remember that too. You’re capable of thought and can make your own decisions. I mean, you decided to step in earlier when you could’ve easily waited for me to bring those men over to you. I just want everyone else to see what I see. I want them to know how incredible you are and that you’re not just a tool for them to use or dissect to figure out how to replicate.” 

Tim ran a hand through his hair, feeling his blush get worse after putting words to what he was feeling. 

“Thank you,” Jason said. “I don’t quite understand why you care so much about my well-being, but thank you. It’s...nice.” 

“You’re welcome.” 

Tim ducked his head and scratched his cheek, unsure of where to go from their current point. 

“Is there anything you’d like me to help with?” Jason asked. “More tests? Building something? Cleaning?” 

“I don’t really have any more tests in mind at the moment,” Tim said with a shrug. “I guess you could help build the robot that you’ll end up fighting. I’m guessing you don’t need a crash course from me on robotics?” he asked with a smirk. 

Jason rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. He stilled and Tim watched, always fascinated when he accessed the databases his systems were connected to. 

Tim let him be and walked over to the table to check Georgia’s progress. He was surprised to find the lab table Jason had first been assembled on was next to the table, several large portions of the bottom legs put together. 

The first set of supplies they’d asked for must’ve been delivered that morning, giving her plenty to do to keep her busy if Jason was keeping to himself. 

He skimmed Georgia’s notes covering the table and found where she’d left off in the assembly of the last wiring and plates she’d be able to put together before they got more supplies. He picked up her tools and the next set of wires and plates, hunching over the table. 

There was a sense of comfort in the meticulous process of connecting wires and circuits and placing the moving plates on the legs of the android. 

“Done. Now how can I help?” 

Tim jumped, the plate he was holding slipping from his fingers. Jason caught it before it hit the floor. 

“Careful there,” he said, holding it out to Tim. 

Tim blushed and swiped the plate from Jason’s hands. “Don’t scare me like that!” 

“Don’t blame me for scaring you when you were ignorant of you surroundings,” he said with a shrug. “What can I help with?” 

“We need to complete the circuitry and plating for both legs. See what I’ve done so far? That needs to be continued for the rest of the leg. I can finish this one if you want to jump on the other one,” Tim explained, bending over the table again. 

He tried to focus on his work, but when he caught movement at the edge of his vision he glanced up. Jason bent over the other side of the table, his fingers accurate in their placement of the wires as the circuits were connected and secured. 

It was nice having someone else working with him. So much of Tim’s time was spent working alone, moreso since he started working on Jason. It wasn’t so bad having another person around to help out. 

The different pieces blurred together as they continued to work. Tim was almost shocked when he realized they were both putting the finishing touches on the tops of the thighs. 

“I’m back and I have coffee!” Georgia called as she walked through the doors. 

Tim straightened and rolled his shoulders, feeling his back pop in a few places after being bent over for so long. He grinned and walked around the table. “Coffee sounds great to me!” 

Georgia handed him the second cup she’d brought and whistled as she passed him to look at their progress. “Wow, you two sure did some work while I was gone. I gotta say, I was half expecting to find the lab in pieces when I got back.” 

“I’m offended you would think I’d ever let Tim do such a thing,” Jason scoffed from his spot next to the table. 

Georgia chuckled and Tim glared at the side of Jason’s head. 

“What?” he asked. 

Jason glanced at him and smiled, making Tim’s heart skip in his chest. The smile slid off his face and he glanced down at Tim’s chest. He straightened. 

“Do you have a history of heart problems in your family?” he asked. 

Tim shook his head. “Nope.” 

“Do you often find yourself with weird heart patterns?” 

Tim sighed, his shoulders sagging as Georgia cackled next to him. 

~~

Tim blearily reached for his coffeemaker when a hand caught his. He blinked his eyes open and looked up at Jason standing next to him before glancing down at their hands. 

“What are you doing?” he mumbled. 

“It’s late. You shouldn’t be drinking coffee this late. Especially not when you haven’t had dinner yet.” 

Tim tried to pull his hand away. “I’ll be fine on coffee. It’ll keep me awake and that’s what I need right now.” 

“There aren’t suitable nutrients in this roasted bean water,” Jason chastised. 

Tim paused, staring up at him with wide eyes. “Roasted bean water?” he asked, voice filled with glee. 

“I’m sensing humor in your tone. Why was my statement humorous?” 

Tim giggled. “Roasted bean water. Oh man, I have to remember that one. That’s so good.” 

Jason huffed. “The statement is not inaccurate.” 

“No, it’s not. But it’s hilarious,” Tim said with a grin. 

“Shut up,” he muttered. “I’m still not letting you have your coffee. I’m going to get you something to eat.” 

“And how are you going to do that? The cafeteria is closed for the day. We’re the only two people left in the building.” 

“We can order something. There are hundreds of options in Gotham. Or we can go out and get something for you,” Jason said, tugging Tim towards the doors. 

“Are you really going to break out tonight?” Tim asked, hurrying to keep up. 

“Of course. I can’t let you die or ignore your own needs just because you’re spending your nights here with me. I’m sure Bruce would understand. And if he doesn’t, then he’s an idiot and should know better. Besides, it’s not like I’m going out onto the street to wreak havoc or seek vengeance on the criminals of Gotham. That path would only lead to more disaster and destruction as law enforcement threatened to stop me, which could then lead to civilian injuries and possible casualties.” 

“I guess I can’t really argue with that. How about we just order some pizza for now? There should be a place nearby that could have it delivered soon. We can wait in the lobby for them.” 

“On it,” Jason said, pressing the button for the elevator. He didn’t stop this time and Tim watched the shadows of websites flick across his eyes. 

“You’re getting better at that,” Tim commented as they rode down to the bottom floor. 

“I’ve had some practice. The first few times I did it, I needed to sit down since there was so much information I wanted to sift through. And even now I don’t think I’d be able to do that kind of research on the fly. But this is simple. The website has simple coding and choice selections. I could do this while navigating a street.” 

“What are you ordering?” 

“Pepperoni and as many veggies as I can get.” 

“We should pay with my credit card,” Tim said, pulling out his wallet. He handed his card to Jason who glanced at it before handing it back. 

“I’ve placed the order. Should be here within the next half-hour,” Jason said.

The elevator doors opened, revealing the dark lobby. The security guard at the front desk looked up, blinking when they stepped out. 

“Mr. Drake, what are you still doing here at this hour?” 

Tim smiled. “Oh, you know. Science never takes a break. I’m actually going to be here a bit longer and we decided to order a pizza if you don’t mind us hanging out here for a bit.” 

“Not at all. Who’s your friend? A fellow researcher?” he asked, looking at Jason. 

“Of course,” Jason said. “I’m helping Mr. Drake with some new developments. We got a bit excited and lost track of time.” 

The security guard chuckled. “I’ve heard that one many times before. Go on and have a seat. You’ll just need to unlock the door when your delivery person arrives.” 

“Thanks,” Tim said. 

The lobby didn’t have any chairs or benches to sit on, but near the door there was a planter with a wide ledge they could perch on. 

Jason sat down next to Tim who glanced out the window at the dark street outside. 

“What do you do for fun?” Jason broke in. “I know humans can do a variety of things, like read books and watch movies or play games. But what do you do?” 

Tim paused. “I don’t really know, if I’m being honest. Considering I work as much as I do, when I’m not working I more often than not sleep. I’ve watched some movies and used to do photography a lot, but that kind of fell away in recent years as I got more involved designing AI systems and androids.” 

Jason nodded. “That actually doesn’t surprise me all that much from what I know about you. Do you think we could watch a movie sometime? It might be a nice experience.” 

Tim nodded. “We can set one up when we go upstairs. I think there’s actually a projector we can hook up my tablet to and stream a film. Is there a certain movie you have in mind? One you might’ve found while doing your research on human customs?” 

Jason shook his head. “If you have one you like, we can watch that.” 

Tim smiled. “Okay, sounds like fun.” 

Jason returned his smile before he straightened. “Someone’s coming.” 

“Pizza probably,” Tim sighed. He pushed himself to his feet, stretching his arms over his back. A bicycle screeched to a stop in front of the doors, the rider dismounted and clicked the kickstand into place. 

Tim unlocked the door and pulled it open as the deliverywoman pulled the pizza box from the carrier attached to the back. 

“I’m guessing you’re the guy who ordered the pizza. Didn’t realize people were here this late,” she said, handing him the receipt to sign. 

Tim chuckled. “Most people usually aren’t. I guess you could say I’m the exception.” He handed the receipt back and took the box. 

“Well anyway, enjoy your pizza!” she called before climbing back on her back and turning back the way she came. 

Tim let the door fall shut and locked it with one hand. He stepped around Jason and headed for the front desk, flipping over the top of the box. 

“Take your pick of a slice. We’re not going to be able to eat all of this,” he said. 

The guard looked between the pizza and him. He smiled. “As much as I’d love to, son, I’m afraid I can’t eat onions and will have to pass on this one.” 

“I’ll remember that next time,” he promised, flipping the lid closed. 

He chuckled. “Enjoy the rest of your night, Mr. Drake. And your friend as well.” 

“We sure will!” Tim called over his shoulder as they turned the corner to the two rows of elevators. 

Jason pressed the up arrow and the doors opened almost immediately. As they boarded, he felt a strange sense of giddiness he hadn’t experienced in a long while. They were halfway up to their floor when he realized he was excited about tonight like a little kid going to a sleepover. 

He strode past Jason when the doors opened and made a beeline for the lab. He set the pizza box on the table and grabbed a slice, taking a large bite from the end. He grabbed his tablet and connected to the overhead projector, powering it up before he started browsing through his Netflix account. 

“Mind turning the lights off?” he asked around another mouthful of pizza. 

Jason didn’t say anything and Tim didn’t hear him move away, but the lights shut off a second later. 

Tim chose a random movie that didn’t look terrible and hit play. The white screen of the projector shifted and showed the opening credits of the movie as it began to play. When the sound came through the tablet rather than the overhead speakers, Tim quickly switched on the bluetooth and connected to the speakers, adjusting the volume so it wasn’t outrageously loud. 

He left the tablet on the table and grabbed the pizza box, sitting cross-legged on the floor to lean back against the side of the table. Jason lowered himself to the floor next to him and Tim smiled, ready to enjoy an easy night in. 

~~

Jason stared down at where Tim was curled up on his side on the floor next to him. He’d fallen asleep sometime during the second movie and Jason had let him rest, turning down the volume so he could still listen, but wouldn’t disturb Tim’s slumber. 

He’d only been awake for a handful of days and didn’t know a lot about the world, but he was certain of a few things. 

The first was that Tim worked himself too hard and didn’t get enough sleep. He might be managing fine just now, but he wouldn’t be able to go forever by avoiding the required amount of sleep. 

The second thing was that Tim was protective as hell. He didn’t quite understand why Tim was so protective of him when they’d only known each other for a short amount of time, but it was nice to have someone watch his back. He could trust Tim. 

The third thing was that he really liked how Tim looked when his internal fluid was concentrated in his cheeks. He was concerned at first that it could mean Tim was having health problems and needed to see a doctor, but now he was certain that’s just how he operated and it was a normal part of his life when no other life-threatening signs or symptoms arose. 

Jason smiled and raised his gaze back to the projector image, keeping an ear out for Tim’s breathing to make sure it stayed constant and there wasn’t a risk of anything pulling him out of his slumber. 

He’d have to talk to Tim about getting a cot in the lab when he woke up. He’d need it whenever he decided to stay late so he’d be able to sleep somewhere comfortable without running the risk of getting sick. 

Jason wanted to know what the world was like outside of the building. He had some idea from all the research he was doing, but it wasn’t the same as experiencing it firsthand. Even with the few interactions he’d had with the security guard and the people in the cafeteria he’d learned there was an unspoken rulebook he hadn’t read yet. 

Jason watched the characters on the screen as they kissed. 

He cocked his head to the side, studying the image of two people kissing. He needed to do more research to understand the meaning behind such a ritual. He could tell it was only done between people who were close with each other and he wasn’t sure what requirements needed to be met in order for them to initiate it. 

He hoped the databases he’d used would be able to give him some information. 

Jason sat back and let his attention pull from the movie to search the internet. He frowned as several results for online quizzes and teen magazines came back with titles like “How to know if he likes you,” “How to ask him out on a date,” and “The best tips and tricks for your first kiss with a new beau.” 

He sighed and cleared the searches, hoping Tim might be able to help him when he woke up. 

Tim shifted next to him and Jason stilled. He glanced down at him and listened carefully, content when he settled and continued his gentle slumber. 

He estimated he had a few hours before Tim got restless and woke up. If he was lucky, the cafeteria would be open and he could make sure Tim got something healthy to eat for breakfast. He definitely wasn’t going to let Tim try and convince him all he needed was more of his ridiculous roasted bean water. 

Jason smiled. Watching out for Tim’s diet was something he could easily do. 


	4. Chapter 4

Tim groaned and rolled onto his back. He stretched his arms over his head and arched his back before settling down on the hard floor he was laying on. 

“You’re awake.” 

He blinked his eyes open and looked up at Jason sitting next to him. 

“Yeah, hey,” he said, pushing himself upright. “What time is it?” 

“Just before eight in the morning. How are you feeling?” 

Tim rubbed at his eyes and smiled. “Good. Despite sleeping on the floor. What did you do while I was sleeping?” 

“I watched a few more movies and tried doing some research, but the internet wasn’t very helpful.” 

“What kind of questions did you have? Maybe I could help you.” 

Jason nodded and turned to face him. “I was hoping you’d say that. There seems to be a lot I still don’t understand about humans.” 

Tim turned to face him, matching his posture. “Sure, I’ll try and answer them as best I can.” 

“While you were asleep I watched another movie and was curious about something that happened. These two people kissed and while it seemed to be an important ritual, I wasn’t sure what requirements needed to be met in order for it to happen. The two people who kissed were close, but not everyone who was close with another person, kissed them. Do you think you could explain that to me?” 

“Uh, yeah,” Tim said, clearing his throat. “First, I guess you should know that there are many different types of relationships between humans. Some of them are familial, like you saw with me and Dick earlier. We’re close, but he’s like a brother to me so I wouldn’t want to kiss him or do any other romantic behaviors.” 

Jason nodded along as he spoke. 

“Another type of close relationship exists between friends. These are people who are close and enjoy spending time together, but aren’t related and don’t have any romantic interest in each other.”

“So, they wouldn’t kiss?” Jason asked. 

Tim nodded. “That’s right. They wouldn’t kiss. The last kind of close relationship is between people who are romantically interested. They can be married or dating. Or maybe neither of those and they just happen to have very strong feelings for each other. But when they really care about each other and things cross over into romantic territory, they can often show their affection by kissing. Does that make sense?” 

“A bit. I can understand the logic behind it, but I’m a bit confused on where such feelings might originate from and how to determine those feelings are indeed those which lead to kissing,” Jason explained. 

Tim smiled. “Don’t worry too much. None of us are completely sure as to how relationships work and what our feelings mean. I’m sure you’ll get a better understanding as you learn more about humans so no need to stress too much.” 

Jason nodded. “I guess I can be satisfied with that for now.” 

“Sorry I can’t satisfy your curiosity fully.” 

“Well, isn’t part of humanity having insatiable curiosity? After all, it was the whole reason technology has come so far. It’s the whole reason you have planes that can fly and were able to put someone on the moon. It’s the whole reason I was invented.” 

Tim chuckled. “You have a point. I can’t argue with you there.” 

His stomach growled and he flushed. 

“Come on,” Jason said, seamlessly getting to his feet. “The cafeteria should be opening soon and you need something for breakfast.” 

He held out a hand and Tim let himself get pulled to his feet. Jason directed him towards the doors, walking them through and towards the elevator. 

~~

Tim took a long sip of coffee as the doors to his lab slid open. He stepped through, freezing when he caught sight of Jason in the middle of the room surrounded by three very buff looking men. 

Bruce was standing with Stephen and Arthur off to the side. Marcus glanced at him, looking particularly guilty. 

“What’s going on here?” Tim asked, squaring his shoulders as he strode over to the group. 

“We’re running a few scenarios to understand Jason’s reactions to threats,” Bruce answered. “Stephen and Arthur were kind enough to recruit a few military men willing to practice some hand-to-hand combat.” 

“It’s been very impressive so far,” Stephen said, no doubt trying to lessen Tim’s anger. 

“And you didn’t think to run this by me first?” he seethed through clenched teeth. 

“It was my decision,” Bruce said. “And the results have been exceptional.” 

“I didn’t authorize this.” 

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps it would be best if we went up to my office and discussed this.” 

“I don’t want to discuss this,” he snapped. Tim paused, very aware of the multiple sets of eyes on him and that he must bear a striking resemblance to a toddler throwing a temper tantrum over a toy they don’t want to share. 

“We’re going to discuss this,” Bruce said. He strode over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, turning him towards the lab doors. 

Tim craned his neck as Bruce walked him from the room, trying to get a look at Jason who was watching him, eyes shining a muted green. 

The doors slid shut, cutting them off from the lab. Bruce walked him to the end of the hall and turned to face him, not pulling his hand from Tim’s shoulder. 

“I understand your concern-” 

“I don’t think you do,” Tim hissed, cutting him off. 

“You knew what you were designing him for and what we were hoping to accomplish with Jason’s creation. I’d like to keep you involved in this process as it continues since you’re the expert on his design, but if you aren’t willing to let him work, I’m going to have to pull you off this project.” 

Tim froze, heart stuttering in his chest as his mind took off, thinking and overthinking every possibility and worst-case scenario. 

Bruce sighed. “Look, Tim. Please work with us here on some level. This doesn’t have to be difficult.” 

“I need a minute,” he mumbled, pulling out of Bruce’s grip. 

“Where are you going?” 

Tim jabbed the up button on the elevator. “Just gonna go think a few things over. I’ll be back. Let me know if you leave before I get back.” 

“Sure,” Bruce murmured. 

The doors slid open and Tim stepped inside, pressing the button for the top floor. He stared at his feet as the doors shut and the car rose towards the top of the building. 

Once it stopped, Tim stepped out into the service hallway and turned left. He unlocked the door leading to the top staircase and climbed it, hand running over the cool metal railing. 

He punched in the last passcode for the roof door and pushed through, letting out a long breath when the sun hit his face. He closed his eyes, breathing in the dirty Gotham air. 

The sounds of traffic were faint, mixing seamlessly with bird songs. His panic immediately ebbed now that he was in the open air. 

He shuffled over to the railing and looked down at the dizzying city below where so many people were rushing along to the next part of their day. 

Tim lowered himself to the roof and crossed his legs, fighting to quiet his thoughts which were still struggling to list every way Jason’s involvement with the government could go wrong. 

“He’s a robot,” Tim whispered under his breath. “A robot shouldn’t be this important to you. Let it go. Let it go.” 

~~

Bruce’s message they’d left the lab was still sitting unread on his phone hours later. Tim hadn’t moved from his spot on the roof and was content to stay there as long as possible. 

He glanced up when he heard the door open, expecting Dick to step through, thinking Bruce finally grew tired now that the work day had ended and sent him to retrieve Tim. 

He blinked when Jason stepped through. 

“Jason?” Tim asked. “What are you doing up here?” 

Jason shoved his hands into the pockets of the jeans Tim was wondering how he’d acquired and walked over to him, bare feet silent against the roof. 

“You didn’t come back to the lab.” 

Tim pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them. “Yeah...I had a lot of thinking to do.” 

“Did you figure out whatever you needed to?” he asked, dropping down to sit across from him. 

Tim smiled. “I think so. I’m just going to have to get used to something I’m not very fond of.” 

“Oh,” Jason said. 

They were quiet, Tim watched Jason and Jason watched him back, the muted green he’d last seen in his eyes missing now. 

“When was the last time you ate?” Jason asked. 

Tim frowned. “What?” 

“Presuming you haven’t left the roof since you came up here five hours ago, you haven’t eaten for at least that length of time. I don’t doubt there was an additional length of time between your last meal and when you arrived at the lab, so reasonable analysis suggests you’re overdue for your next meal.” 

“You just don’t let anyone catch a break, do you?” Tim sighed. 

“Why would I need to?” Jason asked, tilting his head. 

“Nothing,” Tim huffed. He pushed himself to his feet and Jason did the same. “Cafeteria’s going to be closed,” he muttered. “Might have to order pizza again.” 

“I don’t think that would be ideal,” Jason broke in. “Pizza is acceptable from time to time, but should not be used for a large portion of meals. GPS locations suggest a variety of restaurants nearby that offer more substantial nutritional choices. Would you prefer to have indian or italian? I can let these restaurants know we’ll be arriving soon.” 

“You could just order takeout…” Tim said, baffled. 

“No, it’s important that you don’t isolate yourself from others and considering the amount of time you’ve spent here today alone, it’s time for you to be around other humans even if you aren’t interacting with them directly.” 

“I’m...uh...okay?” Tim asked. 

Jason gestured towards the roof door and Tim walked ahead of him, trying to figure out what was happening. He jogged down the steps inside and pressed the button for the elevator, letting his memory guide him through the movements as Jason followed him. 

The security guard looked up as they stepped into the lobby. 

“Another late night for the two of you?” the guard asked with a smile. “I don’t suppose you’re ordering more pizza tonight?” 

“Not at all,” Jason said. “We’re going out for Indian. Would you mind letting us back in after we’ve finished?” 

“It’s fine, Jason, I have my keys,” Tim murmured. 

“Maybe you should call it a night. You do look rather tired, Mr. Drake.” the guard protested. 

Tim forced a smile. “Just a lot on my mind. Nothing a little food can’t fix.” 

“Enjoy your dinner, then.” 

Tim waved as they unlocked the door and stepped onto the sidewalk. The streets were still fairly busy for the earlier evening hour, many people on their way home after a long day of work. 

Jason stepped in front of Tim and took the lead, Tim belatedly realizing they never got Jason shoes and to many people he looked like he was walking barefoot. If anyone noticed. 

He followed Jason across the street and down another city block before pulling open small wooden door, letting Tim step inside first. 

The atmosphere was warm. The lights welcoming them with a soft glow as a mixture of spices caught their attention, the swarm of scents making Tim’s mouth water and stomach growl. 

“How many?” the host asked without looking up from the tablet in front of her. 

“Just two,” Tim answered. 

She nodded and tapped away before turning and collecting two menus. 

“Follow me,” she said, ducking through the doorway into the next room. 

Tim hurried to follow and blinked when he stepped into a sprawling room filled with low tables and pillows to sit on. The host picked her way across the sea effortlessly, taking them to a spotless table. 

“Your server will be with you shortly,” she said, setting the menus down before retracing her path. 

Tim carefully lowered himself onto one of the pillows and Jason did the same, taking a seat across the table from him. Tim flipped through the menu, scanning the dishes until he found something he liked. 

“What can I get you?” a man asked as he swung around their table. 

“I’ll have a water and the tikka masala,” Tim answered, flipping his menu closed. 

“And for you?” he asked, turning to Jason. 

“Oh, I don’t-”

“He’ll have a water and we’re going to share the plate,” Tim broke in. 

He nodded. “I’ll have your drinks out soon and get your order in,” he said, grabbing their menus before disappearing among the patrons. 

“Why did you stop me from explaining that I don’t need sustenance?” Jason asked. 

“Because,” Tim hissed, leaning across the table. “The point of you looking and acting human is to be covert. We can’t have everyone here knowing you’re a robot.” 

Jason nodded. “I see. But surely you must know that I can’t ingest the liquids or the solid food they will give us.” 

“You won’t have to,” Tim said. I’ll drink your water for you and just act like you’re eating. Hold a spoon and push the food around a little. No one’s going to notice the difference considering they didn’t realize you’re not wearing shoes.” 

“I understand your argument,” Jason said. “They were rather unobservant to that fact.” 

“So, you know you should be wearing them then?” 

“Should be?” Jason asked. “I don’t need shoes. But I understand humans have a custom for them. I’m not required to partake in it as I don’t have the same easily injured shell that is human skin.” 

“Jason,” Tim sighed. “If you’re trying to appear human, you’re going to need to wear shoes like other humans do. It’s why you have to wear clothes.” 

Jason looked down at what he was wearing. “But clothes make more sense than shoes.” 

Tim sighed and buried his face in his hands. “I guess you have some idea of what human decency means. But as soon as we get back to the lab we’re going to get you a pair of shoes.” 

“Fine,” Jason muttered. “I still don’t like it.” 

“Noted,” Tim said with a smirk as a server passed and set their waters down. He picked up his glass and took a long drink, realizing how thirsty he really was after going hours without anything to eat or drink. 

“I have a feeling you’re not being entirely serious with that response,” Jason said, lips pulling down in a pout that reminded Tim of a sad cat. 

“That would be because I’m not.” 

Jason glared at him, drawing a chuckle from Tim. This was easy and comfortable. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had been able to pull him away from work so fully. He was relaxed and enjoying himself. 

His earlier concern and anxiety felt like a ghost now and he was starting to wonder if he had been overreacting to Jason getting some testing in with other fighters. 

It was probably fine. If Bruce was in charge of making the deal then his contacts had to be trustworthy. 

Tim straightened when a large plate of food was set between them. He grabbed the naan and tore off a length, his hunger making itself known. 

~~

“Finally!” Tim crowed as he walked through the doors to his lab and held a shoebox triumphantly over his head. 

He froze when he caught sight of Jason standing on the other side of the room in his boxers. Tim slapped the shoebox in front of his face to keep from staring. 

“Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?!” he squeaked. 

“Because I’m not currently around other humans,” Jason said easily. 

“You’re in an office building!” 

“And? Normally there aren’t many people who come through here. You’re familiar with me, so there shouldn’t be a problem.” 

“That’s not the point,” Tim groaned. “Please put your clothes back on.” 

“Why? Are we going out somewhere?” Jason asked. 

“No, but-” 

“Is there someone important coming to meet with me?” 

“Not that I know of, but-” 

“Then there shouldn’t be a problem with me waiting around without the restrictive nature of clothes.” 

Tim’s face burned. “Just put on your damn clothes!” he said, chucking the shoebox at Jason. 

Jason caught it easily in his arms and looked up at Tim who was trying not to focus on his chest. 

“We need to try on your shoes anyway,” Tim muttered. “Please get dressed.” 

Jason was quiet for a moment, unblinking eyes boring into him. “Okay,” he said. He set the shoebox on the lab table and moved over to where he’d left his discarded shirt and pants. 

Tim forced himself to turn away to keep from watching him get dressed and put his focus on the shoebox. He flipped open the lid and pulled away the tissue paper. He grabbed a pair of scissors and cut off the tags before pulling the cardboard out of the new Nikes. 

He turned and found Jason standing behind him, fully clothed. 

“Here,” he said, holding out the shoes. 

Jason make a face, but dutifully took them from Tim’s hands. “Do I have to?” he asked. 

“We need to make sure they fit. I won’t make you wear them all the time, but we need to know if they’ll be good whenever you have to leave the lab.” 

Jason shuffled over to one of the chairs and sat down. His fingers tugged at the laces, loosening them enough to shove his bare foot inside. 

Tim watched, mesmerized, as Jason expertly tied the laces. He did the same with the second shoe and stood, taking a few steps to test the feet. 

“They look fine to me,” he huffed, looking up at Tim. “Any complaints?” 

He shook his head. “No, but...did you look up how to tie shoes?” 

“Yes.” 

“Okay,” he said, drawing out the end of the word. 

“Can I take them off now?” 

“Yes, fine,” he huffed, rolling his eyes. 

Jason grinned and bent down to undo the laces when the doors to the lab slid open. Tim turned, finding Bruce standing there. 

“Bruce,” Tim greeted. “What are you doing here?” 

“I’m here to collect Jason.” 

Tim frowned. “For what?” 

“We want to pair him up with a few officers and send him out into the field for a test run.” 

Tim paused. He’d been feeling less protective when it came to the work and training Jason was doing indoors. Him actually setting out to help on the streets always felt like a far-off event that might never come to fruition with how strict Bruce was. 

But having Bruce walk into his lab and tell him it was time? He felt like the floor was about to drop out from underneath him. 

“Now?” he croaked. 

Bruce nodded. “They’re waiting downstairs in the lobby. A surveillance van is going to be with them to monitor his work. You have clearance to ride with them and observe.” 

“We’ll be down in a minute,” Jason broke in. “I’m sure Tim will want to bring his tablet or some tools just in case.” 

Bruce looked between them and nodded. “We’ll be waiting for you downstairs.” 

Tim fought to suck in a breath while he watched Bruce walk away. The doors shut behind him and Jason stepped in front of him, gripping his chin to tilt his head back. 

“Tim,” he said, catching his attention over the roaring in his ears. “Your heart rate is elevated and your breathing is short. Focus on lengthening your oxygen intake, hold it for three to five seconds, and then release it again.” 

Tim chuckled, some of his panic ebbing as he tried to bring his breathing back to normal. 

“Was there something funny in what I advised?” Jason asked, tilting his head to the side. 

“Just the way you said it,” he huffed, hiccuping a little as he settled back down. 

“Something frightened you,” Jason said, letting go of his chin. 

“I’m not sure if I’d say it frightened me exactly, but I was surprised. I’m a bit nervous about you going out onto the streets.” 

Jason tilted his head to the side. “Why? Was that not the purpose of my creation?” 

“I mean, yeah, but-” 

“Then there shouldn’t be a problem,” Jason said. “I’ve been training. It’ll be fine. And you’ll be there to see that it’s fine. And if something happens, I’m sure you can just repair any damages I might accrue.” 

“I guess, yeah…” 

“Would you like your tools or just your tablet?” Jason asked, stepping around him. 

“Just the tablet’s fine…” 

Jason pressed it into his hand and placed a hand on his lower back, guiding him towards the door. Tim clutched the tablet to his chest as he tried to make sense of what was going on. When they were halfway down the building to the lobby, he realized it was probably better to let things happen without analyzing every second of it. 

Jason’s hand stayed on his back as they stepped out of the car and crossed the lobby, other workers dodging them as they went. Bruce and his contacts looked up as they approached. 

“Thanks for getting down here so quickly,” Bruce said. “You remember Stephen and I believe you’ve seen Captain Anderson around,” he said, gesturing to the uniformed officer.

Tim nodded at them both. 

“Do you have everything you need?” Captain Anderson asked. “We’d like to begin our trial shortly to try and collect as much data as possible during the few hours we have reserved for this.” 

“Yes, we’re good to go,” Tim murmured. 

“Excellent. You’ll be riding with us in the van, Mr. Drake. Jason will be riding in the cruiser with our officer on staff. We have cameras inside the cruiser and Jason will be given a personal camera as well. Do either of you have any questions at this time?” 

Tim shook his head. 

“We’ll head out and begin, then. Mr. Wayne, thank you again for partnering with us for this project,” he said, holding out his hand to Bruce. 

“Of course,” Bruce said. “I think this will yield some positive results for the people of Gotham.” 

Captain Anderson nodded and gestured for Tim and Jason to walk ahead of them through the doors. 

A large, black van was parked behind a cruiser along the edge of the sidewalk. The side door of the van was pulled open as they approached and Tim was ushered inside. He glanced over his shoulder at Jason, but his view was quickly cut off as the door was pulled shut. 

“You can have a seat right here,” a woman said, directing him to an open chair. “I’m Sammy and this is Brian. You’ll probably be seeing a lot of us during any additional test runs and trials that we hold over the next few weeks.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Tim said, nodding to both of them. He glanced around at the compact space filled with monitors and screens. “This is pretty nice set-up you have here.” 

Sammy grinned. “One of the many perks of this job, that’s for sure. I’d show you all the tricks these things can do, but I think you might have to have some kind of clearance,” she said with an easy laugh. 

Tim smiled. “Same goes for how Jason works.” 

“That’s the android’s name I take it,” Brian said, leaning forward. “I’d love to hear more about his operational systems. From what I’ve heard of his training with some of the officers, it’s pretty impressive what you’ve managed to create.” 

“It’s taken a lot of work to make Jason as functional as he is. I wasn’t prepared for him to work to full capabilities so quickly.” 

The passenger door opened before slamming shut a moment later as Captain Anderson climbed into the front seat. 

“We’re ready to go,” he said, twisting around to face the passengers in the back. “Sammy, Brian, are the cameras in the cruiser online?” 

Brian straightened, as he worked on his computer. “All cameras are online and functional. Systems and battery are stable, footage is already recording. We’re good to go.” 

“Excellent.” Captain Anderson picked up a radio, pressing the button on the side. “Team, we’re good to go. Let’s head west and keep an eye out for any suspicious activities. We might have to keep an ear on the scanner for now in case anything comes up, but this has the potential to be a quiet ride.” 

“10-4, Captain,” the officer in the cruiser said. 

Tim sat up, getting a look through the windshield. The cruiser pulled away from the curb and the van followed. The van was silent and Tim thought the ride would be rather awkward until Sammy poked him in the arm and gestured towards the computer screens in front of her. 

Tim leaned over and saw the feed of the cameras in the cruiser. One of them faced towards the inside of the car, showing Jason and the officer sitting in silence, Jason’s eyes scanning the streets. The other camera showed the street view of the other cars they passed as they drove. 

Tim settled in, expecting an afternoon of watching cars go by. 

~~

Smoke burned Tim’s lungs and nose.


	5. Chapter 5

Smoke burned Tim’s lungs and nose. Sammy tried to pull him back into the van, but he wouldn’t budge, eyes locked on the burning building in front of them. 

Jason was inside with a swarm of firefighters trying to evacuate the five floors of the complex. Two fire trucks were parked on the street, lights flashing. Police cruisers barricaded each end of the street as officers kept the crowds back. 

A few civilians had stumbled out of the building, coughing and spluttering as EMTs herded them towards the waiting ambulance to be checked over. None of them were covered in soot indicating anything had collapsed, offering a good sign as to the structure of the building. 

Jason’s camera had gone down shortly after he got into the building. Tim wasn’t sure if it was because of the distance between them killing the signal or if it was knocked loose and crushed. 

The windows on the top floor blew out. Tim gasped and ducked, arms covering his head as small shards of glass tinkled around his feet. When he was certain nothing else was going to come down, at least for the moment, he looked up at the building. 

Several firefighters raced down the steps, ushering other residents as they went. They turned to look at the building behind them and Tim’s heart stopped. Jason wasn’t with them. And if they were in that much of a hurry to get out, it meant the building was coming down. 

Tim took a shaky step forward, ready to run inside to find Jason. A hand latched onto his shoulder and pulled him backwards. 

“Where are you going?” Sammy hissed, dragging him backwards. “You can’t go in there.” 

“Jason’s in there,” he said, eyes locked on the complex as he tried to break her grip. 

“Jason’s an android,” she argued. “He doesn’t need oxygen to live. You do. Whatever happens to him in there can be fixed.” 

“Not if he melts, I can’t,” Tim spat, turning to glare at her. 

“He’s not human!” 

“So what?!” he cried, finally breaking her grip and stepping away from her reach. “He has thoughts and feelings! He’s capable of understanding the world around us like anyone else!” 

“That doesn’t mean you should risk your life for him,” Sammy argued. 

A sickening crack tore through the air. Tim’s heart jumped into his throat and he whirled around to face the building. 

“It’s coming down!” 

“No,” Tim breathed. He stepped forward, watching the ceiling cave in dangerously. 

The world froze for a second before the ceiling caved in. It brought the walls down with it, the debris crashing through the floor below. 

Tim flinched as the building collapsed into a pile of rubble. The crowd hushed, the emergency lights offering an eerie glow to the scene as they continued to flash. 

Tim’s legs shook. He tried to take a step forward, but they gave out and he collapsed. He barely felt the sharp dig of the asphalt into his jean-clad knees or the palms of his hands. Someone grabbed at him, trying to pull him back to his feet. 

He thought he heard them speaking, but all he could think about was the panic constricting his chest that Jason really wasn’t going to make it out of the flaming pile of stone and wood. 

Jason had come so far. He was getting better at acting like a person. He was wearing clothes and shoes, and understanding the nuances of human interaction. 

“There’s someone still in there!” 

Tim’s head snapped up. He saw the planks at the top of the pile moving, a hand forcing its way out. He shot to his feet, shaking off the hold of the person next to him. 

“Jason?!” he cried. “Jason!” 

He sprinted forward, determined to help him out from where he was trapped. As more of the arm emerged, Tim could see where it was cut, wires and metal components showing through the artificial skin. 

“Jason!” 

Someone caught him around the middle. Tim struggled, trying to break their grip so he could get closer. He had to make sure he was okay. 

“Let go of me!” he bit out. 

His chest heaved as he kicked. Several firefighters rushed forward, climbing up the pile of rubble to knock the bricks out of the way and help free Jason. 

“Careful,” Jason said, voice modulator sounding tinny like when he’d first woken up. “There’s someone underneath me. We’ll need to make sure they don’t get crushed.” 

The firefighters spread out, slowing their movements. As more of the brick was pulled away, they could hear someone crying. 

“Reach in here. Yeah, like that,” Jason instructed. “It’s going to be okay. You’re doing great.” 

A child was carefully raised from the hole that was created. Tim could see her arm bent at an unnatural angle. She was rushed to the ambulance for treatment as the other firefighters stepped down the pile of rubble and Jason followed them. 

One of his feet dragged along the ground, the mechanics severed which allowed the joint to move. His shirt was torn and burned in a handful of places. A patch of his hair was missing and a small patch of skin was missing from his left cheek. 

“Jason!” Tim struggled against the hold on him that was still unrelenting. 

Jason looked up at him, eyes narrowing when he saw Tim fighting against the person holding him. Bright green slowly seeped into his eyes. 

“Let me go,” Tim huffed. 

“I’m not letting you get anywhere near that thing,” the man holding him said. 

“He’s not a thing!” Tim argued. “And he just saved a little girl.” 

“Let him go.” 

Tim looked up, finding Jason standing in front of him. The grip around Tim’s waist disappeared as the officer stumbled back in surprise. 

“Are you okay?” Jason asked him, eyes dimming again. 

“I think I should be asking you that,” Tim said, fighting to get himself under control again. “You’re the one who got pretty messed up in there.” 

“I also don’t feel pain like you do.”

“I’m going to have a lot of repairs to do,” Tim chuckled tightly. He reached out, gripping Jason’s torn shirt to convince himself this was real and Jason was standing in front of him. 

“I’m okay,” Jason murmured. 

“Mr. Drake-Wayne, Jason,” Captain Anderson said, appearing at their side. “We need to get you back in the van and back to Wayne Enterprises.” 

“What?” Tim asked. 

Captain Anderson nudged them towards where the van was parked. “We need to get both of you out of here. There are a number of civilians who just witnessed what happened and know Jason isn’t human. I’m sure Mr. Wayne wasn’t expecting a security breach this early, but we’re hoping to minimize the fallout by removing you from the scene.” 

Tim let himself get shuffled into the van now that Jason was with him. Sammy gave him a disapproving look as they pulled away from the curb. 

“You’re an idiot,” she muttered. “You were really ready to run into a burning building.” 

Tim flushed. “I...may not have been thinking very clearly.” 

She snorted. “You don’t say?” 

“You really shouldn’t have considered running into the building. It’s important to let the firefighters do their jobs,” Jason chastised. 

Sammy chuckled and Tim buried his face in his hands, blush crawling up his neck and cheeks. He was starting to regret ever wanting to build an android in the first place. 

~~

“There’s something on your mind,” Jason said as Tim regraphed the skin over his stomach. 

Tim was making a valiant effort not to feel so utterly ashamed about giving Jason defined abs now that he was managing his repairs. 

“I’ve always got something on my mind,” he murmured. “My mind never stops working.” 

“Yeah, but this is something else,” he insisted. 

Tim glanced at his face, meeting Jason’s analytical gaze. Tim cleared his throat, eyes roving over the repairs he’d completed, Jason’s artificial skin without a single blemish or imperfection. 

“I don’t know, it’s…” He stopped and set down his tools. “It’s just something I have to get used to, I guess. I know I was working on building a functioning android specifically to go into the field, but during that whole process I never thought it would turn out to be you. It’s different now, is what I’m trying to say.” 

“Oh,” Jason murmured. “I guess I can understand that. But I’m okay with going out and helping. And I know that you’ll always be here to fix me up when I need it.” 

Tim smiled, feeling some of the tightness in his chest unravel. 

The doors of the lab slid open and Tim turned, barely getting a glimpse of a blue shirt and dark hair before arms wrapped around him. 

“Tim!” Dick gushed. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt are you? I saw the news. You looked pretty bad. Although Jason looked even worse… Tell me everything!” 

“Dick, calm down,” Tim wheezed, pulling his arms from around his neck. “I’m fine. I wasn’t even inside the building. Jason was worse off.” 

“I know,” Dick said. 

Tim frowned. “What do you mean ‘you know?’”

“It’s all over the news. Pictures, videos...people caught you struggling against a firefighter and they saw Jason come out of the pile of rubble in all his inhuman glory.” 

Tim closed his eyes. “Shit,” he breathed. 

“Bruce wanted to talk to you about it.” 

Tim rubbed his temples. “And I’m sure he’s going to be down here soon enough.” 

“Probably. I wouldn’t be surprised. And...Jason has abs now,” he added, something off in his voice. 

Tim’s flush returned and he crossed his arms. 

Dick’s gaze returned to him. “Why does Jason have abs now?” 

“Because I want to make him as realistic as possible.” 

“Not everyone has abs,” Dick continued. “He doesn’t have to have abs.” 

“The added details on my abdomen weren’t the only detail Tim added,” Jason said from the table behind them. 

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What else did he give you?” 

“Jason,” Tim warned. 

“An added piece of anatomy. I believe it is the male sex organ. Although I’m not sure why it’s listed as the male sex organ when some women and non-gender specific people have them as well.” 

“Jason,” Tim groaned. 

“You gave him a dick?!” Dick cried. 

“Maybe,” Tim muttered. “What about it?” 

Dick stared at him. “I...I don’t...can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?” 

He didn’t wait for Tim to answer and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the lab doors. He tugged him towards the end of the hallway. 

“What are you doing?” he hissed.

“I’m just trying to make the fact Jason’s an android as imperceptible as possible,” he argued. “If there’s ever a breaking point in any sort of case or work he’s doing, he should be able to blend in seamlessly with everyone else.” 

“Are you sure that’s the only reason?” Dick pressed. 

Tim stopped. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean,” Dick huffed, “are you sure that the only reason you’re making him as anatomically correct as possible, and giving him abs, is because of some possible chance on a mission? Because I’m starting to think you’re in love with a robot.” 

“He’s not a robot, he’s an android,” Tim automatically corrected. 

“Well I’m starting to think you’re in love with him.” 

Tim half-heartedly scoffed. “I’m not-” 

“Aren’t you?” Dick sighed. “I’m sure you haven’t seen it yet, but the footage of the fire this afternoon is everywhere. I saw the way you were trying to break free when you were being held back. That wasn’t...the panic you were exuding? That didn’t look like someone who was just concerned about their android. You looked like your world was about to crumble down around you if it wasn’t already.” 

Tim froze, trying to make sense of what Dick was telling him. He knew his behavior towards Jason wasn’t exactly normal. It hadn’t been from the beginning. 

And things had only gotten more confusing that first night he’d stayed over at the lab when he and Jason sat around watching movies. 

“Just think about what you’re doing. I don’t want you to get attached in a way that’ll leave you heartbroken if your feelings can’t be returned,” Dick said, voice soft. “I should go. I’m sure I’m still the last person you’d want to see right now.” 

Tim nodded. He wasn’t sure if it was in agreement or to let him know he was listening and wouldn’t be mad if he walked out. 

Dick stepped around him and Tim listened as he pressed the button for the elevator. It dinged seconds later, doors sliding open to let Dick inside. 

Tim didn’t move until the doors slid shut and he was left alone in the hall. He took a deep breath and turned around, shuffling back towards the lab. He kept his gaze on the floor as he stepped inside, not willing to look at Jason who no doubt heard everything they said. 

He moved around the table, collecting and organizing the tools he’d used for Jason’s repairs to get them put away. 

“Tim.” 

He didn’t stop, snapping the locks of his toolbox closed. 

“Tim, stop. Please,” Jason tried again. 

“Did you need something, Jason?” he muttered. 

“I need you to talk to me.” 

Tim sighed, willing himself not to be so weak. He turned around and met Jason’s eyes. He was looking at him curiously, irises widening and narrowing. 

“About what?” he asked, knowing where Jason’s thoughts had no doubt gotten stuck. 

“About what Dick said.” 

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to find some way to skirt around their conversation. 

“Was it true?” 

“I...I don’t know,” he admitted. 

“How would you not know?” 

“Jason, feelings are...they’re complicated. Sometimes we have trouble understanding what exactly we’re feeling and what that means.” 

“So, you’re trying to figure out your feelings and Dick thinks he’s figured it out?” 

Tim nodded. “Yeah…” 

“If you’d like to talk to me about it you can. Some reports suggest that simply speaking out loud can help a person work through their thoughts to reach the necessary conclusion.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Tim said, forcing a smile. “But for now I think it would be best if I did my thinking on my own.” 

Tim took a deep breath, working to shake off the lingering feelings dragging him backwards. 

“Now, I have something to ask you.” 

Jason cocked his head. “What?” 

“Can you please put on some clothes?” 

Jason looked down at his bare chest. “But we’re in the lab.” 

“That doesn’t matter, just put on some clothes,” he pleaded. 

“Are we expecting company?” 

Tim grabbed the pile of clean clothes and threw them at Jason. “Just put on your damn clothes!” 

He pouted, but slowly started pulling on his pants. “Fine, but I’m not wearing the shoes.” 

The last of Tim’s irritation faded and he smiled. “Fine, you don’t have to wear the shoes.” 

He was ready to forget about the conversation he’d had with Dick and Jason and get some rest after the long day they’d all had. It was getting late anyway and everyone else in the building would be heading home. 

“You’re exhausted.” 

Tim glanced up, finding a fully-clothed Jason in front of him. “How do you know that?” 

“Your breathing’s changed and your blinks have gotten slower,” Jason explained. “Your movements have become more sluggish as well. Do you have a way to get home safely?” 

“I drove here. I should be fine to get home on my own,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes. 

“I don’t think that’s a good decision. A large number of motor collisions are the result of drivers falling asleep at the wheel. You should stay here for the night and go home to rest tomorrow. I can order some food for you for dinner.” 

“Where am I going to sleep? If I don’t sleep I won’t be in any better condition tomorrow.” 

Jason turned on his heel and walked over to one of the closets. He pulled open the door and pulled out a large bag and a rolled up sleeping bag. 

“What is that?” 

“It’s a cot,” Jason explained, pulling it from the bag to carefully set up. 

“Where did you get that?” 

“Georgia brought it for me. I think she felt guilty that I didn’t have anywhere to sleep even though I don’t need anywhere. So it’s just been sitting in the closet for now. I don’t know how comfortable you’ll find it, but it’s better than nothing.” 

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Tim murmured. 

Jason looked over his shoulder and smiled. “You’re welcome.” 

Tim swallowed, his heart skipping a beat from how warm Jason looked. Jason’s smile slipped and he frowned. 

“Are you alright? You’re not feeling sickly, are you?” 

Tim cleared his throat. “Nope, I’m fine.” 

Jason didn’t look convinced, but finished setting up the cot and spread the sleeping bag out on top. 

“Are you hungry? I can order some food.” 

Tim nodded. “Yeah. Whatever’s fine. I’m going to put on a movie or something.” 

He picked up his tablet and opened his streaming service, scrolling through the shows and movies for something he might be interested in. 

“I’ve placed your food order and will go down to the lobby to retrieve it,” Jason said, striding past him. 

Tim paused. “How did you pay for it?” 

“I have your credit card number memorized,” he said as he stepped through the lab doors. 

“Oh.” 

He shook his head and went back to browsing Netflix, quickly picking out a science fiction film. He queued it up on his tablet and powered up the projector, waiting as it slowly came on and showed the paused video. Tim connected to the bluetooth speakers and made himself comfortable on the floor, content to wait for Jason to get back. 

As the minutes ticked by, his curiosity latched onto what Dick was saying earlier about the videos of him and Jason being all over the news. He pulled out his phone and logged onto Twitter, not having to scroll very far before he found the first tweet. He had a number of notifications he wasn’t about to try going through. 

He pulled up the video and watched as he struggled, shouting Jason’s name loud enough for the mic to pick up. It was strange watching himself react to when Jason pushed free from the pile of rubble and the firefighters helped the little girl free. 

That morning his only focus was on Jason. He wasn’t registering many of the people around him and what they might be seeing. He really did look like he was scared he’d lost, or was going to lose, someone he loved. 

He expected the video to end shortly after Jason broke free from the rubble and was walking towards him, but it kept going, capturing the moment when Jason spotted Tim. 

Tim frowned. Jason’s posture changed immediately despite the damage he’d sustained which made walking more difficult for him. He stalked forwards, looking like he was ready to go into battle and Tim suddenly remembered how his eyes glowed when Tim wasn’t let go right away. 

Tim scrolled through more of his feed, finding other videos and photos of the scene. Along with several comments that Jason was a robot. Some people even went so far as to claim he was part of some large conspiracy funded by Wayne Enterprises that they were trying to take over the human population with unidentifiable robots. 

Cleaning up this media storm was not going to be fun for anyone, but he knew Bruce was already considering ways to manage damage control. 

He sighed and closed the app. He’d only wear himself down by trying to think through everything. 

The doors slid open and he looked up, expecting to find Jason coming back with his food, but Bruce stood in the doorway instead. 

“Bruce,” he said, surprised. “I thought you’d be home by now.” 

“I’m on my way out. I wanted to stop by and let you know what the plan was for tomorrow.” 

“Press conference?” he sighed. 

Bruce nodded. “There are a lot of rumors flying around right now and as much as I would’ve preferred to have taken care of this today, I wanted you to repair Jason first.” 

Tim frowned. “Why?” 

“Because I want him to be present at the press conference. Along with you.” 

“You’re going to unveil the technology? I never thought you’d want to.” 

“I expected to eventually. I was just hoping to have more tests under our belt so we could outline our plan of incorporating Jason into society. I won’t have as solid an explanation as I would like, but I am content with the amount of footage people have captured showing Jason’s ability to help people. We just need to curb the rumors before they can get wildly out of hand.” 

Tim nodded. “I can be there for that. Are you going to want me to speak?” 

“Not at this time. I think you’ll be fine with making an appearance by Jason. Some of the reporters might have questions for you.” 

“That’s not a problem.” 

Bruce nodded. “The conference is going to be at 10am sharp.” 

Tim smiled. “I’ll put on my best suit for it.” 

“I don’t doubt you will.” Bruce checked his watch. “I should go ahead and head out. Where’s Jason?” 

“Picking up my food from downstairs. He wasn’t willing to let me drive home since I’m so tired, so I’m spending the night here.” 

Bruce nodded. “Bathrooms are yours if you want a shower.” 

“Thanks, but I’ll probably run home tomorrow morning before the press conference.” 

“Enjoy the rest of your night then and I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, turning on his heel for the door. 

“Good night.” 

The doors slid open as Bruce approached and Jason stepped through carrying a large brown paper bag. 

“Jason,” Bruce greeted as he passed. 

“Bruce.” 

Jason watched him walk past and waited until the doors closed before joining Tim on the floor. 

“What did he want?” he asked, pulling out several styrofoam containers. 

“He was just letting me know we’re holding a press conference tomorrow, nothing more.” 

“Okay,” Jason said. He shoved one of the containers into Tim’s hands and unwrapped a plastic spoon. “Eat.” 

Tim smiled. He pulled the lid off the mashed potatoes and scooped a spoonful into his mouth as Jason opened the rest of the containers. He started the movie, settling in for a relaxing night of food and entertainment. 

~~

Jason stared at where Tim was curled up on the cot sleeping. He was laying on his side, arms drawn close to his chest and fingers curled in towards his palms. His heartbeat was steady and breathing even. 

When Tim slept it was one of the times Jason saw him most peaceful. He’d been relaxed during the few times they’d had dinner or watched movies, but this was something else entirely. This was Tim with all of his defenses down, trusting Jason enough to watch over him. 

An alert flashed across his eyes, disappearing as quickly as it came. Jason blinked, trying to decipher what he’d glimpsed. He inspected his code, searching for the blip and frowned when it was recorded as a systems alert, but didn’t list what it pertained to. 

He’d ask Tim about it when he woke up. He might know something or be able to repair the glitch if something wasn’t working properly with his connections. 

He refocused his gaze on Tim, content to wait out the hours until he woke up and Jason could take him down to breakfast. He smiled. Tim would probably try and get out of it or just drink coffee, but he wasn’t going to have it. 

Tim would need the energy breakfast provided. Especially if they were going to be part of such a high-stress press conference. 

Something flashed across his irises again and he straightened, waiting to see if the glitch would occur again. 

The quiet atmosphere of the lab conflicted with his alert ratings. He thought there should be a threat nearby, but everything around him said that was unlikely. He didn’t sense any other people nearby other than Tim. The lab’s systems were working at capacity, indicating no sign of tampering. 

He settled back against the lab table he was sitting in front of, keeping an eye on his sensors for any possible attack or issues that required intervention. If he was picking up someone or something potentially skirting around the perimeter of his senses, he wasn’t going to let it get the best of him. 

Not when Tim was nearby. He’d protect him at all costs. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know it's been a while...I've had a longer absence than anticipated oops. I've currently become obsessed with One Piece and binging that anime has basically sucked up most of my free time but I'm hoping to try and find a better balance to do some more writing and update fics since I certainly don't want to leave these stories unfinished. 
> 
> I hope you like the update and I will try to be better. 
> 
> <3 MOLIM

Tim burrowed farther into the sleeping bag, fighting to get away from the hand shaking him. 

“Go away,” he grumbled. 

“Tim you need to get up,” Jason huffed. “If you don’t get up now, you won’t have enough time to get home and get changed for the press conference.” 

Tim groaned, wondering how far he could really push Jason to let him stay in bed before he realized it wouldn’t be worth it. Jason could just as easily lift him out of bed and carry him all the way back to his apartment and force him to get changed. 

“Okay,” he muttered, kicking off his sleeping bag. “I’ll go home and get changed.”

Tim stretched his arms over his head, feeling his back pop in several places. 

“You should make sure to eat something while you’re home, too. I would’ve brought you down to breakfast, but your insistence on staying in bed has made that an impossibility this morning,” Jason explained. 

“I’ll just grab some coffee and I’ll-” 

“No,” Jason said, narrowing his eyes. “Coffee is not suitable nutrition for breakfast. You need something with sufficient carbohydrates so as to avoid crashing from low sugar levels. Now, please agree to pick up something for breakfast at home, unless you would rather I escort you home and back to the lab to make sure you eat something.” 

Tim groaned and ran a hand through his hair. He stepped around Jason and swiped his keys from the table. “Fine,” he huffed. “I’ll eat something before I come back. Are you going to be fine here on your own?” 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked with a shrug. 

“Just making sure,” Tim sighed. “I’ll be back soon.” 

Tim shuffled out of the lab, slapping the elevator call button. He shoved his hands into his pockets, staring at his feet. Despite waking up in the lab after sleeping on a cot, the whole experience of Jason pulling him out of bed felt a bit domestic. 

The elevator doors opened and he stepped inside, pressing the button for the parking garage. He leaned against the back wall as Dick’s words came back to him from the day before. 

_ You’re in love with him, aren’t you? _

He didn’t think he was. Or maybe he didn’t think he should be. Love was strange for him. He thought he’d been in love before, and maybe he was, but he also knew he was still figuring out whatever this was with Jason. 

He didn’t want to misinterpret his own feelings as something more than a natural overprotectiveness of his own invention. 

Which was something Bruce had argued for since the beginning. 

Tim sighed and shook his head. He could think about all of that later. 

Getting through the press conference was the most important thing. Damage control was priority number one. After that...Tim could compartmentalize and deal with things only when he absolutely needed to. 

~~

Tim smoothed down the front of his suit jacket, taking a deep breath as he waited to walk through the front doors of Wayne Enterprises and into the camera lenses of hundreds of reporters. 

Jason was standing next to him, wearing the nicest clothes they’d been able to find on such short notice. Bruce was on his way down from his office and once he arrived, they’d join the masses that were held down by W.E.’s security detail. 

“Your heart is beating faster than normal,” Jason commented. 

Tim nodded. “I’m a bit nervous if you couldn’t tell.” 

“Of course I could. Fast heartbeat along with higher sweat output. I know that this won’t make much of a difference, but you really have no need to be nervous about a press conference.” 

Tim chuckled, the sound strained and choked. “I’m about to unveil my biggest invention to the public.” 

“Technically I was already unveiled when the general public caught images and video of me,” Jason argued. 

“I’m glad to see you’re both here and ready to go,” Bruce said, appearing at their sides. 

Tim nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” 

“Like I said, you’ll only need to speak if any questions are directly addressed to you.” 

“And I expect they will be.” 

Bruce smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s go.” 

He pulled the doors open, Jason and Tim following him out as a wave of sound and indiscernible questions rushed over them. Tim squinted at the flashing lights and Jason looked over the crowd and then the surrounding area, taking in the details and no doubt assessing any potential threats. 

Bruce stepped up to the waiting podium with several mics balanced on the edge of it and raised his hands until the crowd hushed. 

“I appreciate your attendance at our press conference today,” Bruce began. “I’d like to take this time to address the recent events that have come to light involving one of Wayne Enterprises’ researchers and his recent development. Before I address the concerns which have been spreading, I’d like to explain what all of this involves. This,” he said, gesturing towards Jason, “is J-A-S-O-N, also known as Jason to us. 

“He’s a fully-functioning android designed to offer assistance to the police and government in keeping Gotham’s streets safe. If the technological trials prove to be promising and effective, we plan to expand the production of the models to help implement our shared goals on a wider scale in protecting both the citizens of Gotham as well as the members of Gotham’s police force. 

“Yesterday, when an unfortunate fire broke out in one of Gotham’s apartment complexes, Jason was nearby with his technician and our research and developer, Tim Drake. They arrived on site with police personnel and Jason proceeded to enter the burning building and assist the citizens trapped inside. I understand that many people were concerned when he was able to push himself free from the pile of rubble and had several mechanical failures which resulted in bystanders realizing he was an android.

“I’m sure many people feel we were hiding this advancement from them or were expecting to use it for our own personal gain. Neither of those things are true. Jason is still in the testing stages and we’re working to make sure he is able to interact with our city’s citizens before making his presence known and allowing him to operate on his own. 

“Jason is designed to protect the people of Gotham first and foremost and offer the aid and protection the police force might not always be available to provide. He also prevents our police force from putting their lives at risk on a daily basis when we ask them to go above and beyond in their line of duty. I hope that with this new information, Gotham’s citizens can welcome a new era in protection and feel safer on the streets of our humble city.

“If any of you have questions, I will take them at this time,” he finished. 

Their audience began speaking as one, their questions and comments blending together into a mess of sound. 

“Please, one at a time,” Bruce asked, silencing the crowd. 

“Mr. Wayne!” one man asked, waving his hand over his head. 

Bruce nodded towards him. 

“What inspired this new technological development?” 

“The people of Gotham. One of our goals is to help and support them in every way possible and protecting both the people on the streets and the people protecting our streets became our most recent mission.” 

Bruce pointed to a woman next. 

“How are you wanting to expand this technology?” she asked. 

“Once we get through the first trials and begin to understand how Jason works with our city’s population, we’re expecting to build similar models and increase the reach to all aspects of the city and keep even the areas with the highest criminal activity safe. After we aptly study the possible impact of that we can work to bring this technology to other cities as well as the military.” 

Another man raised his hand and Bruce pointed towards him. 

“I have a question for the developer, Mr. Drake.” 

Tim swallowed and stepped forward, taking the podium from Bruce. He felt Jason’s eyes on him and knew he was monitoring him closely. 

“Mr. Drake, in many of the videos of yesterday’s incident, you were seen being held back by one of the emergency responder personnel. I think many of us would describe your reaction as one of panic. Is there a reason you appeared to react so strongly to your android being inside the burning building?” 

Tim cleared his throat, fighting to keep the flush from seeping too obviously into his cheeks. He knew his heart was beating faster and Jason would notice the difference. He only hoped he would hang back and keep from intervening. 

“I had concerns over both the people inside the building and the structural integrity of Jason. We hadn’t yet tested his resistance to extreme heat. Additionally, shortly after entering the building, his body camera was disabled and we had no way to know if he was still operating online. I think my reaction could be interpreted as a protective instinct over a design and invention I spent many hours testing and tweaking.” 

The reporter nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. 

“Mr. Drake, I have a question for you as well!” a woman said, raising her hand to catch his attention. 

He nodded. 

“Both you and Mr. Wayne have referred to Jason as a ‘he.’ If he’s an android, why have you assigned a specific set of gendered pronouns to him?” 

Tim smiled. “Referring to Jason with pronouns was something we thought would be beneficial if we were hoping to integrate him into society as seamlessly as possible. The use of he/him pronouns was something Jason decided for himself and not something we picked for him. Additionally, we didn’t want to refer to him using pronouns in public and not use them in private, so we thought the implementation of them was imperative during the early stages of testing.” 

Bruce placed a hand on his shoulder and guided him to the side. 

“Are there any more questions?” he asked, flashing a smile at the reporters to place the attention back on him. 

A flurry of reporters pressed forward, trying to shout their questions over each other. Tim slipped backwards out of the spotlight and stood next to Jason, letting out a relieved breath. 

“You did not seem nervous when faced with so many reporters and possible scrutiny,” Jason said softly next to him. 

“I’ve gone through a lot of press conferences,” Tim said with a shrug. “Dealing with reporters is nothing new. This just happens to be one case where I’d rather not have to deal with the press.” 

“Well...you did well. And that’s an accomplishment in itself.” 

Tim chuckled, a soft smile pulling the edges of his lips up. “Thanks, Jay.” 

Jason was silent and Tim glanced up at him, finding inquisitive eyes scrutinizing him. 

“Something wrong?” he asked. 

“You’ve never called me Jay before.” 

“Oh,” Tim said, blinking at him. “I guess I haven’t. Is that a problem?” 

Jason shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.” 

“Oh, okay,” Tim said. 

Jason held his gaze, the edges turning a faint green again and Tim once again wondered what that meant. 

A wave of sound flooded his ears and Tim jerked, eyes going back to the crowd of reporters. They were clapping as Bruce waved them off and stepped away from the podium. He turned to Jason and Tim and gestured for them to head back inside to the lobby. 

Tim nodded and hurried back to the doors, trying to shake off the lingering feeling of whatever transpired between him and Jason. He reached for the handle, but a hand caught it before he could. He looked up, finding Jason caught up with him easily and pulled the door open for him. 

His heart jumped and he nodded, shuffling through the door, glad when the chatter of the reporters was cut off once it shut behind them. 

“Well that went far better than I expected,” Bruce admitted. 

Tim smiled ruefully. “I wouldn’t feel too good about it yet. None of them have released their stories. We could still have a lot of pushback and that doesn’t even include the entirety of Gotham’s populace on the matter.” 

Bruce smiled. “Maybe not, but it’s a start. And whatever reaction we’ll get, we can only hope that it won’t bar us from our work too much.” 

Tim nodded. “I’ll continue to monitor the situation. But if that’s all you needed, I’m going to go get out of this suit.” 

Bruce chuckled. “I can’t imagine what you would do if you had to wear a suit all day.” 

“That’s why you’re the one running the company and I get to play around with tech,” Tim said with a smirk. 

“I hope that doesn’t mean Jason’s going to become your imaginary friend,” Bruce said with a smile. 

“Can’t be imaginary if he’s real,” he said, feeling more than a little proud of getting so far with him. 

Bruce nodded and gave him one last pat on the shoulder. “Right you are,” he murmured before striding away towards the elevators. 

“Have you ever considering having Bruce evaluated for bi-polar disorder?” 

Tim snorted and turned to face Jason. “As much as Bruce can annoy us sometimes with forcing his way into our business, he’s not that bad.” 

“Are you sure? Because some of the resources online suggest his behavior-” 

“How about you leave all diagnosis up to a professional?” Tim asked. “I think you might be better suited for evaluating physical injuries in the field.” 

Jason shrugged. “Whatever you say. Can we head back up to the lab now?” 

Tim nodded. “Sure.” 

They crossed the lobby, some of the employees they passed looking at Tim and Jason with a new fascination. Tim checked a sigh. He knew that Jason’s reveal was going to bring a lot of attention, but he forgot that there were people who worked for W.E. who had no idea what developments were happening in Tim’s lab. 

They were just as new to it as everyone else where Tim and Bruce had known about his progress since the beginning and witnessed all of the failures and half-starts. 

“The staring is certainly something I’m going to have to get used to when I’m around you,” Tim muttered as they stepped into a blessedly empty elevator and the doors slid shut before anyone could join them. 

“But you were one of the youngest executive researchers brought into the company. You were working on your own research when you were still in college. Why wouldn’t you be used to a large number of people giving you added attention?” 

“You looked me up online?” Tim asked, baffled. 

Jason shrugged. “Isn’t it normal that I’d want to learn more about you?” 

Tim stared, trying to find something to say. He knew Jason was doing his research purely from an analytical standpoint, but the possibility that someone had enough interest in him to know more about him just because was something he never expected to experience. 

People didn’t have an interest in him. Unless it was for his tech. 

“What’s wrong?” 

Tim blinked, realizing they’d reached the floor to his lab and Jason was holding the doors open for him to step off. 

“Nothing,” he muttered, ducking his head. “Sorry.” 

He rushed past for the doors of his lab. They slid open to reveal Marcus and Georgia working on a robot they nearly had finished. They looked up at his entrance and Georgia let out a low whistle. 

“Someone’s looking fancy today,” she commented. 

Tim sighed and gestured at his suit. “The unfortunate reality of having to go to a press conference.” 

Georgia snickered. “That’s why I let other people be in charge.” 

“I can’t believe you had to speak in front of all those people,” Marcus said, making a fake-gagging noise. “That sounds awful.” 

Tim shrugged and slipped his suit jacket from his shoulders. “I only had to answer a couple of questions. Bruce did most of the talking as the head of the company.” 

“Don’t we have PR people for that kind of thing?” Georgia asked.

“Probably on some level, but Bruce does like to take charge when it comes to the company’s image. Just look at all of the charity galas he hosts.” Tim loosened his tie, undoing the knot to pull the silk from around his neck. He draped it over the back of the chair his jacket was resting on. 

“How are things going here?” Tim asked, nodding towards the robot. “You’re almost done as far as I can tell.” 

“We’ve got a few more bits of wiring to install and calibrate the computer functions, but we might be ready to get this up and running by the end of the day,” Marcus said, grabbing his tools. “That is, if you don’t distract us too much.” 

Tim placed a hand over his chest. “You wound me.” 

“I don’t detect any physical abnormality. How did he wound you?” Jason asked. 

The group snickered. 

“I didn’t mean it literally,” Tim said. “It’s an expression. A figure of speech.” 

“Oh,” Jason murmured. 

Tim smiled at him before turning back to the robot being built. “Now,” he said, rolling up his sleeves. “How can I help?” 

~~

Jason watched Tim work alongside Marcus and Georgia. He kept going back into his memory banks to look at the still image of Tim laughed, his nose crinkling up as his eyes slid shut. 

He was calm as he shared gentle conversation with Marcus and Georgia, his heart beating steadily in his chest, the corner of his lips ticking up in a gentle smile. 

His vision went red as an alert popped up in his vision. 

_ WARNING! _

Jason straightened, listening to the hallway outside the doors. He didn’t detect any movement or sound. The alert remained on his screens. He checked over his systems, searching for signs of operational abnormality. 

_ CENTRAL SYSTEM TEMPERATURE RISING _

Jason frowned, pulling up his diagnostics to determine if there was a block in his filtration or his wiring had become crossed. 

_ DIAGNOSTIC SCAN COMPLETE; SYSTEMS OPERATING AS NORMAL _

Jason’s frown deepened. 

“Jason?” 

Jason blinked, pushing the alert to the side and refocused his gaze. Tim stood in front of him, eyes searching his face. 

“Is everything okay?” 

Jason nodded. “Fine. Just doing some research.” 

Tim nodded, shoulders loosening. “You looked like you zoned out. I should’ve guessed,” he said with a soft chuckle. “We’re about done with the system uploads on the robot. Just wanted to know if you were ready to test out your combat skills against it.” 

Jason nodded. “Sure.”

Tim beamed at him before he turned back to the robot Marcus and Georgia were monitoring. 

Jason pushed himself off the stool he was sitting on, watching his screens as a new alert popped up. 

_ WARNING! _

_ FLUID CONCENTRATION IN FACIAL AREA _

Jason ran another diagnostic scan. 

_ DIAGNOSTIC SCAN COMPLETE; ALL SYSTEMS OPERATING AS NORMAL _

His frown deepened. He’d need to check over his systems later and search for any other abnormalities in his performance report. If anything continued to linger he’d bring it up to Tim and let him know something was wrong. 

He wouldn’t want to cause another unintentional explosion. Not when they’d come so far. 

~~

Tim watched, enraptured, as Jason fought the robot in his eighth round of combat. The first round had gone fast, the robot easily able to detect Jason’s movements and put him on his back. 

Tim could see the change after that first round. He started fighting with a strategic edge, watching his opponent for repeat moves and patterns, searching for any edge he could find. He’d make a fake move, hoping the sensors would detect where it seemed his limbs would be and he could take it by surprise. 

As Jason continued to learn, he was able to evenly match the robot and many of their fights came to a standstill. 

Marcus and Georgia recorded each fight, taking notes on how to improve the design and increase Jason’s combat skills. 

Tim drew in a sharp breath as the robot swept its foot under Jason’s legs. Jason wrapped his arms around the robot’s shoulders as he fell onto his back and used the momentum to roll them both over, pinning the robot to the floor. 

Tim let out a relieved breath. 

“I think that’s enough for one night,” Georgia said, shutting down the robot from her tablet. “We’ve got a lot of good data to analyze thanks to this. And now Jason has something to train with.” 

“That was better than when I worked with the military,” Jason said getting to his feet. “I don’t have to worry about accidentally losing control of my strength with this since I know I won’t be hurting anyone.” 

Tim nodded excitedly. “And this way you can practice more than you would with the military. We can keep improving your systems and abilities.” 

Marcus stifled a yawn. “As exciting as all of this certainly is, I started dozing off about two fights ago. I think I’m going to head home and get some shut eye. Gotta be fresh for tomorrow.” 

Georgia glanced up from her tablet at Tim and then over at Jason. 

“I think you’re right,” she added, tucking her tablet under her arm. “We’ve done a lot today and if I try to look through this now, I know I won’t be able to stop until I have it all organized and analyzed. Come on Marcus, I’ll walk you out.” 

“Sounds good. You can keep me from falling asleep in the elevator,” he said, waving at Tim as they headed for the lab doors. 

Tim waved at their backs, an easy smile pulling at his lips. His exhaustion and excitement were warring with each other. His excitement wanting to keep him awake while his exhaustion demanded he go to bed. 

“You should head out as well,” Jason said, catching his attention. 

Tim looked up, finding Jason had come over to him, standing a couple feet from his chair. 

“Trying to get rid of me?” he asked, feeling the easy lopsided smile pull at the edge of his lips. 

Jason shook his head. “No, but you’re obviously tired and I don’t think you really want to sleep in a suit on the cot. Go home and get some rest. I’ll be here when you get back in the morning.” 

Tim sighed and pushed himself to his feet. “I guess I can’t really argue with that. Are you going to have enough to keep you occupied until morning?” 

Jason rolled his eyes. “I have the whole internet at my fingertips. There’s plenty to watch and read and learn about.” 

“Sassed by my own android. What’s the world coming to?” he muttered. 

“You might have a better understanding of that if you got some sleep.” 

Tim grabbed his jacket and tie from the back of the chair. He paused, giving Jason one last look. 

“Goodnight, Jason,” he murmured, voice soft. 

“Goodnight, Tim,” Jason said, eyes unblinking. 

Tim nodded and walked towards the doors. He spared a last glance over his shoulder as he left, Jasons’s eyes still on him. 

He let out a breath when the elevator doors closed behind him and the car started its descent to the garage. His stomach flipped happily and he bit his lip, knowing he shouldn’t read more into Jason’s gaze than what was there. He didn’t like him like that. Tim just had to remember that. 

~~

Tim stifled a yawn as he stepped off the elevator onto the floor where his penthouse was located. He pulled out his keys, ready to shed the remains of his suit and crawl into bed. 

He unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped inside, bracing a hand against the wall to slip off his shoes. He locked the door behind him and shuffled into the living room. He heard something creak behind him and slowly turned. 

A hand clamped down over his mouth and a forearm went around his throat, pulling him back against a muscular chest. 

Tim thrashed, struggling to throw off the grip as his air supply was cut off and he let out a soft grunt. He kicked his legs wildly, trying to break free or fend off any other attackers. His foot connected with something heavy, but it didn’t seem to do anything. He desperately tried to suck in a breath, but the hold on his throat tightened. 

A deep chuckle sounded next to his ear, sending trembles down his spine. 

“Now, don’t struggle so much, pretty boy. You’re coming with us whether you like it or not.” 

Tim gagged as the smell of cigarettes and stale fast food grease wafted over him. He blinked frantically, vision narrowing as black creeped into the edges of his sight. He fought to move his lips, silently forming Jason’s name even though he didn’t have the oxygen to speak. 

Tim scratched at the arm over his throat, weakly trying to pull it free as everything went fuzzy before the blackness filled his gaze. 


	7. Chapter 7

Jason looked up as the doors to the lab opened. Marcus and Georgia walked in carrying steaming cups of coffee and chatting happily. 

“Morning Jason!” Georgia greeted, making a beeline for one of the stools at the lab table. 

“Morning,” he said, eyes flicking back towards the lab doors. 

“Tim’s not with you?” Marcus asked. 

Jason shook his head. “He hasn’t arrived yet.” He checked the time again, watching as the seconds ticked by and they quickly approached late morning. 

“He probably just overslept,” Marcus sighed as he sat across from Georgia. “He looked pretty dead on his feet and I know if I worked as hard as him, I would’ve slept straight through my alarm.” 

“He’s been working himself too hard anyway. He’s earned a day off,” Georgia sighed. “We can handle things while he’s away and look at this data we got yesterday,” she said, rubbing her hands together. 

Jason nodded, not moving from his spot as they got to work. His gaze stayed locked on the door. He knew that patterns could have breaks in them and that never indicated bad or extreme events, but he had a suspicion that something wasn’t right and this break in pattern wasn’t because of something as simple as not being woken up by an alarm.

He would talk to Bruce later about checking in on Tim. If he wouldn’t let Jason out of the lab, then he could at least stop by himself and make sure he was okay. 

~~

Tim groaned as he fought to come back to himself. He was cold, his cheek pressed against something hard and wet. He frowned, trying to remember what happened the night before and if he ended up falling asleep in the shower again. 

He blinked, forcing his eyes to focus on the room around him. It was dark, bare lightbulbs illuminating the darkness every few feet. He tried moving his arms, wanting to push himself upright, but cool metal pressed against his skin as a chain rattled behind him. 

“Looks like someone’s finally awake.” 

Tim turned his head, finding a woman sitting pristinely in a chair, two large men standing behind her. 

He struggled to sit up, the heavy chains around his wrists making it difficult to move. “Who are you?” he asked, glancing at the room around him. The ceilings were low and he had a sneaking suspicion he was underground. 

“Christy Langford,” she said, pleasantly. “But you can call me Ma’am.” 

“Why did you bring me here?” 

She chuckled. “Simple really. You’ve made one of the most efficient androids in the world. It’s exactly the kind of technology I want. And you’re going to give it to me.” 

“Why do you think that? You kidnapped me from my apartment and dragged me here to wherever this is. Why would I ever give you my tech?” 

Christy smiled. “Simple really. I asked you to. And you’re never going to get out of here so you might as well do as I say.” 

“And if I don’t?” 

“I have some associates who can be rather...persuasive. If you’d like they can introduce their skill sets to you. But I think I’ll leave you alone for now to get a better understanding of the situation. If I’m feeling generous I might even give you a little tour later. After all, you did dress up so nice for us.” 

She stood and gave him one last smile before turning on her heel and walking into the darkness. The two men who’d stood behind her sneered at him before following, not bothering to leave anyone to keep watch. 

Once her footsteps faded into the distance, Tim took stock of his surroundings. What he’d first thought was an open space broken up with rows of shelving was a circular room with halls leading away from it. There were no visible doors cutting off access to the halls. 

He tilted his head back, trying to scrutinize the ceiling through the dim haze the lightbulb gave off. He could see the faint outline of pipes and air vents, but wasn’t able to discern much more than that. 

Tim twisted around, getting his knees underneath him to try and stand. He made it into a half-squatting position before the chains pulled tight and kept him from moving farther. He settled back on the floor, the dampness seeping through his dress pants and making him shiver. 

He sighed and closed his eyes, ducking his head as he thought through his current predicament. He didn’t have his phone, and even if he did there was no way he could currently use it. The only positive of having it on him was that once someone noticed he was gone they could track its GPS location and find where he’d been taken. There was no telling if it had been left in his apartment or was somewhere in the bunker he was being kept in. 

Tim’s eyebrows drew down together. He had no idea how much time had passed between his kidnapping and waking up. There was no discernable way to tell time. Whoever had captured him wanted his technology and he had a feeling Christy was going to do everything she could to get that information out of him considering she had no issue with alluding to torture. 

He sighed. He could only hope someone would be able to find him soon. He wasn’t too keen on being held hostage by some crazy woman and whatever army she had employed. 

~~

Jason knocked on Bruce’s office door. His secretary was still eyeing him from her desk, like she wasn’t sure if she should really be allowing him to be so close to the head of the company. 

“Come in,” Bruce called from inside. 

Jason pushed the door open, stepping inside and closing it behind him. Bruce glanced up from his paperwork, pausing what he was writing when he realized it was Jason. 

“Jason,” Bruce said, setting down his pen. “I’m surprised to see you up here.” 

Jason nodded. “Under normal circumstances I would have no need to be up here, but I noticed something strange.” 

Bruce gestured for him to continue. “Tim has not arrived at the office yet. I attempted to call his cell phone and make sure everything was alright, but there was no answer. I think it would be best if someone were able to check in on him. I would go myself, but I’m not sure if you’d like me to go on my own due to the recent incident with the media.” 

Bruce hummed, twirling his pen between his fingers. “I can have Dick meet you in the lobby and the two of you can head over to his apartment. As much as I would like to believe he overslept, he’s not one to miss work. Or ignore phone calls.” 

Jason nodded. “I’ll be waiting in the lobby for him.” He turned on his heel and walked out of the office, nodding to Bruce’s secretary as he passed. He hoped Dick was quick enough to make it to the lobby by the time he got there.

~~

“Jason can you slow down?” Dick huffed as Jason strode through the doors of Tim’s apartment complex. 

“You’ll have time to rest in the elevator. We’ve wasted enough time already,” he said, jabbing the elevator call button. 

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Dick huffed, stepping into the car next to him and pressing the button for the top floor. 

“We’ll know that when we find him in his apartment,” Jason bit out. He tried not to roll his eyes when an alert popped up at the edge of his vision. He didn’t have time to worry about what was going wrong with his systems. He had to make sure Tim was okay first. 

Dick cut off his path when they reached the top floor and the doors opened. He walked forward first and Jason scowled at the back of his head, not wanting to be delayed any more than they already were. 

Dick hummed something under his breath as they walked, completely at ease. Jason glanced over his head at Tim’s slowly approaching door. His circuitry nearly sparked when he saw it was cracked. 

“Something’s wrong,” he hissed, pushing Dick to the side. He hurried to the end of the hall, pausing to slowly push the door open and listen for anyone who might be lingering inside. His sensors didn’t pick up any bodies. 

Jason shoved the door open and stepped inside, eyes roving over the scene. 

“Tim?” Dick called, stepping around him to search the depths of Tim’s apartment. 

Jason focused on Tim’s shoes inside the door. He’d obviously made it inside before he was taken. He walked into the living room. One side of a table at the arm of the couch had been moved. 

“Tim’s not here. I can’t even find his phone,” Dick huffed, hurrying back to him. 

“He was kidnapped. He must’ve been taken by surprise and struggled. We have to find him,” Jason said, staring at the carpet where the table’s leg was pushed to the side. 

“We should tell Bruce. He probably has some people who can-” 

“No,” Jason said, cutting him off.

“What?” 

“I’m not waiting around for Bruce to hire some people to look for Tim. We’ve wasted too much time already. I’ll find him myself,” he growled, stalking past him towards the door. 

“And how are you going to do that? You can’t drive if he’s far away. You don’t have money to buy a plane ticket and last time I checked you don’t know how to fly.” 

“I’ll figure something out,” he muttered, striding through the door back towards the elevator. He wasted no time accessing Tim’s cell phone number and setting up a wireless connection to the device. 

If it wasn’t in his apartment, it had to be somewhere close to where he was. And if Jason could find his cellphone, he could find Tim. 

Jason stepped out of the elevator and crossed the lobby when he reached the ground floor. He took a sharp right out of the doors, trying to find where Tim’s phone’s unique code pinged from the cell towers nearby. 

He picked up a promising whisper towards the East side of the city. It was faint, no doubt a ghost from hours ago, but it gave him a direction. That was more than he had a minute ago. 

An alert popped up in front of his left eye. He growled at seeing Bruce’s name. 

“What?” he asked, answering the call. 

“Dick informed me you’re planning on running off on your own to find Tim,” Bruce answered easily. 

“I am. And I already have a lead on where he might be.” 

The line was silent for a moment and Jason knew Bruce wasn’t prepared to hear that. 

“You do,” he said. 

“I do. Whoever kidnapped him took his cell phone. I’m tracking the cell signal,” Jason said, turning down the next street. He came in range of the next tower, Tim’s trace stronger than the last one. 

“I need to report this to the police.” 

“Feel free. I’m not stopping,” Jason muttered. 

“I can’t have you go after him alone-” 

“The longer I wait, the weaker his trace is going to be,” Jason spat, feeling like his wires were sparking under his skin. “If whatever backup you’re going to organize is quick, they can catch up and come with me.” 

“Fine. But you will answer my calls when I need to contact you and I expect to know as soon as you’ve found his location.” 

“Fine.” Jason glanced down the street, hurrying across an intersection before turning the next corner. 

“When you find him, wait until you have backup,” Bruce added. 

Jason rolled his eyes. 

“Jason,” he warned. 

“No promises,” he muttered, ending the call. He was done waiting. 

Jason’s eyes narrowed as he approached the edge of town. If he’d let the cops or government handle this they probably wouldn’t have made any progress as quickly as he had. And they’d take a while to catch up as it was. 

Tim was waiting for him. And he was going to bring him back. 

~~

Tim narrowed his eyes when he heard footsteps echoing down one of the halls. He shifted around, muscles stiff from sitting in one place for so long. The footsteps didn’t sound as light as Christy’s had.

A man stepped through the archway. He wore a pair of dirty jeans and a stained white shirt. 

“Ma’am wanted me to come get you,” he muttered, walking around behind Tim. 

“For what?” he asked, tensing as the man knelt behind him and fiddled with the chains holding him down. 

“She wants you to see where you’ll be working.” 

He stood, pulling the end of the chain with him. It tugged Tim’s arms behind him and he scrambled to get to his feet to keep them from being pulled. 

“Come on,” he said, tugging the chains and making Tim stumble around after him. 

Tim nearly tripped when he was pushed forward, forced to walk in front. He scanned the stone walls of the hallway, looking for any sign of separate rooms or cameras that tracked the halls. Even though he didn’t see any indication of surveillance, he didn’t trust it. 

“Keep moving.” 

Tim rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything. Walking on the smooth floor was difficult enough in socks. He didn’t need to get dragged along because of it. 

He belatedly realized the hallway had been curving when they reached another room. This one was round as the other one had been, but it was illuminated with floodlights. Christy stood on the opposite end of the room, smiling at him as he entered. 

“Tim, thank you for joining us. I just wanted to give you the chance to look over your workspace. I thought you might like something with more space and light to work with as wiring and building can be quite tricky.” 

“I told you,” Tim said, narrowing his eyes. “I’m not building a robot for you.” 

She tutted and shook her head. “I was trying to be pleasant and give you time to think it over. But I guess even the smartest people need a bit of an incentive. Zeus, if you would,” she said with a wave of her fingers. 

Tim’s arms were yanked behind him and he gasped, bending in half to try and relieve the pain of having his arms nearly pulled out of their sockets. Zeus twisted the chains, pulling Tim’s arms across each other. He desperately fought to bite back a whimper, feeling like his arms would break if they were pulled much farther. 

Thin fingers gripped his chin and forced his head back. Christy grinned at him, her nails digging into the soft skin of his cheeks. 

“Listen to me,” she said, voice dangerously low. “I’m giving you one last chance to agree to build me an android or you’re going to be spending some quality time with Zeus where he has free reign to do what he likes to his heart’s content. And Zeus is an expert at keeping himself occupied and entertained. So, Mr. Drake, Timothy, Tim, which would you prefer? Getting to work on building something that requires the bones of your hands to be intact, or having some personal time with Zeus here? Your choice.” 

Tim grit his teeth, glaring at Christy. “I’m not doing anything for you.” 

She sighed and let go of his chin. “He’s all yours Zeus. You know where to find me when you’re done. And try not to cut off anything he might need for building when he does come around.” 

“Yes, Ma’am,” he grunted. 

Tim struggled to get his feet underneath him as he was dragged to the center of the room where a lone chair sat. Zeus threw him into the chair. He undid the chains around his wrists, but before Tim could rub them and get the blood flow back into his arms, his left hand was slammed onto the armrest and strapped down. His right arm was next. 

He tugged at the restraints, bucking against the chair before his ankles were strapped to the legs. 

Zeus stepped back, grinning sickeningly as his eyes roved over Tim’s form. He tossed the chains to the floor, the sound of metal scraping against concrete making Tim wince. 

“Let me get my things,” he said, walking towards the door Christy left through. 

Tim tugged at his restraints, hoping they might be loose enough that he could pull one of his wrists free. 

“Don’t bother struggling,” Zeus said as he rolled a large cart back into the room. “You’re not going to get away from me and if you resist you might make me go farther than Ma’am would like.” 

He watched Zeus approach, trying to press back into his chair as far as he could. Zeus pulled an apron from the cart, slipping his head through the opening and securing the ties around his waist. 

Tim’s eyes widened as he picked up a large knife, holding it up to catch the light. Tim’s heart pounded in his chest, feeling the panic begin to take over. He really wished he’d just stayed at the office with Jason. If he’d been with him this never would’ve happened. 

“Please,” Tim whispered as he approached. 

Zeus chuckled, dragging the tip of the blade along his cheek. “You can beg all you want, but until you agree with what Ma’am wants, it’s not going to stop.” 

“I’m not building anything for her,” Tim said, trying to keep the tremble out of his voice. 

“Pity,” Zeus purred, pressing the tip of the blade into Tim’s cheek. 

Tim turned his head to the side, trying to get away, but the pressure became more insistent. He felt something wet trickle down his cheek and winced. The blade dragged down his cheek and Tim sucked in a breath at the sting. 

“How’s that feel?” he asked, bending over to bring their faces close together. “I think red might just be your color.” 

Tim narrowed his eyes, grinding his teeth together. 

Zeus sighed and straightened. “Not convinced? I think we might be able to change that with a bit more work.” 

He tapped the blade against his cheek and circled Tim. Tim’s mind was at war with itself, wanting to think through an escape route, but anxious where the next blow would come from. 

“The hands are off-limits, but the arms?” Zeus ripped the fabric of his shirt sleeves apart, exposing his forearm. “Such unblemished skin,” he murmured, trailing his fingertips from wrist to elbow. 

Tim closed his eyes as the edge of the dagger was placed near his wrist. He bit his lip as it was dragged downwards, cutting into the skin. He sucked in a breath through his nose, fighting back the well of pain. He could survive this. Only a few more minutes and then someone would surely come for him. He had to believe that was true. 

The next cut came sooner than the last. Tim flexed his fingers against the arm rest, latching on to Jason’s robotics and computer systems. He started running through calculations for what it would take to get Jason to fly. 

His thoughts wavered and a whimper slipped out when a particularly harsh cut landed near his elbow. He blinked, coming back to the space in front of him. 

“Have I got your attention now?” Zeus asked, face in front of his. “You’re missing out on all the fun by getting stuck in that little head of yours. But now your arm is a work of art.” 

Tim swallowed, hesitantly looking down at his forearm. He felt bile rise up in his throat at the criss-crossing cuts that covered his skin, blood painting it wet carnage. He swallowed, fighting to keep his vomit down, heart leaping in his chest. 

The blade pressed against his other arm and Tim gasped seconds before it sliced into his skin, making a sick sound as blood welled up out of the cut. His fingers started to tremble and he forced himself not to clench his hands into fists to keep the blood from flowing faster. 

Cool metal pressed against his neck and he jerked. 

“Careful,” Zeus said. “You wouldn’t want to accidentally slit your own throat.” 

Tim craned his neck backwards, trying to get away from the blade, but it followed him inch for inch, dragging along the sensitive skin. 

“Most of the people I get to bring down here make so many more sounds than you do. It’s making me wonder what I have to do to have your attention.” 

He stepped backwards, tossing the bloodied knife onto the tray. He picked up a pair of pliers and grinned at Tim. 

“I think this might be more your speed.” He stalked over to Tim and knelt in front of him, pulling off his dirty socks and tossing them to the side. 

Tim jerked against his bonds as the cool metal of the pliers settled against his pinky toe. He fought to break free, gritting his teeth when the pliers closed around his toenail and started to pull. 

“No,” he begged. “Please, no, stop.” 

“I’ll stop when you agree to work for Ma’am,” he said, voice filled with glee. 

“Never,” Tim bit out, nails digging into the edges of the armrests as he felt his toenail slowly being pulled from his skin. He flinched against the wave of pain, the movement jostling his foot and tugging his toenail upwards. 

Tim yelped, breath coming faster as the pain spread over his entire toe. His toe twitched, pain flaring and making him twitch again. He bit his lip, feeling each inch of skin tear away from the end of the nail. 

“There,” Zeus said, standing from his crouch and holding up the bloody stump of his toenail. “That got your attention. Now only nine more to go.” 

The bottom of Tim’s stomach dropped. His vision narrowed to the pair of the pliers and the man in front of him. It suddenly hit him that this was what he was going to have to live through. He didn’t know how long it was going to take before someone found him. If anyone found him. 

Was he really strong enough to hold out? Could he last through this indefinitely? Would it be easier to just give up and give them what they wanted? 

Tim opened his mouth. He was halfway ready to give them what they wanted. What did the consequences matter when he felt like he was dying. And even then, he could say he was going to build something for them and take his time. Assuming someone would be able to find him before he got done. 

As long as they didn’t punish him for not moving fast enough. 

“Please,” he whispered. “Please.” 

Tim didn’t know who he was pleading to, but he hoped if someone heard him they could help. 

~~

Jason paused at the edge of a long drive. His sensors were going crazy, the signal from Tim’s phone stronger than ever. He was close. And he wasn’t going to stop until he found him. 

Jason activated a call to Bruce, surveying the dense foliage around him as he waited for it to connect. 

“This is Bruce.” 

“I know where Tim is.” 

“Where can we send the retrieval team?” 

“I’m sending you my GPS location now. My back-up can follow when they get here,” Jason muttered. 

“They’re about fifteen minutes out. Do not engage alone.” 

“I’m not leaving Tim in there any longer than he needs to be,” Jason barked. “My backup can follow me in when they arrive.” 

“Jason-” 

“No,” he growled and ended the call. He felt on the verge of overloading, his circuits filled to the brim with electricity. He was close and he was getting Tim back. 

Jason pushed the foliage aside, following the dusty road that led through the trees to what was hidden beyond. He didn’t pick up any other pieces of tech which might’ve been tucked away in the trees. 

He narrowed his eyes, looking as far through the foliage as possible. He could see a corner of a building he was quickly approaching. He shoved branches to the side, some of them snapping in half in his hurry. 

Jason reached the edge of the treeline in seconds. The building was small. A rectangle of concrete that appeared to have one floor. Jason frowned, sensing something lurking underneath the building. He paused, extending his sensors to scan the area below him. 

Seven floors were built under the main one, each an interlocking map of circular rooms and hallways. He could tell cameras littered the first few floors, but wasn’t able to discern anything farther down. He guessed it was the same with tight security. 

But Tim was somewhere in there. And he was going to get him out. 

Jason kept his sensors open, but didn’t give them his full attention. He focused on the front entrance. The door was made of thick steel, but didn’t have any metal bars holding it in place. There wasn’t anyone behind it either, giving him quick access to the hallway beyond. 

He rolled his head and charged forward, sprinting across the small field to the front door. Jason lowered his shoulder, bracing himself as he slammed into the door and forced it open. It banged against the wall, ringing loudly in the narrow hallway. 

About two hundred meters down the hall was a stairway leading to the sublevels. He didn’t sense any other individuals yet. He made a beeline for the staircase, closing the distance quickly. 

Jason shoved through the door, jumping down four steps at a time. As he passed the next level three heat signatures popped up, rushing to intercept him after no doubt hearing the door implode and watching his progress through the security cameras dotting practically every inch of the ceiling. 

He sprinted past the door they were coming for, continuing his descent deeper into the recesses of the building. More heat signatures hit his radar as he kept passing floors. 

Tim’s cell phone signature popped up and Jason shoved through the next door, coming face-to-face with three men. 

“Who the hell are you?!” one of them shouted. 

Jason ignored him, sprinting forward. They looked slightly taken aback, hesitating for a second before running to meet him. Jason ducked under the first wild swing, elbowing him in the stomach. He choked, staggering backwards against the wall. 

Jason grabbed the next man’s shirt and flung him into the other one, sending them both into a heap on the ground. He left them behind, rushing down the hallway as it curved towards one of the circular rooms in the center. An alarm sounded, a red light flashing overhead to alert everyone who wasn’t already aware of his presence. 

He followed the signal from Tim’s phone, pushing faster and faster the closer he got. He scowled when he noticed a small group of people moving to intercept him. 

Jason darted around the corner, hands curled into fists as he met the group in the middle of the hallway. Three of the men held guns, while the other two were weaponless. 

“Stop right there,” the one in the center said, giving him a smirk and aiming the gun at his chest. “Youse is trespassing on the Ma’am’s property.” 

“Where’s Tim Drake?” he barked, looking between everyone’s faces. 

“Nowhere youse’ll find ‘im. ‘Sides, Ma’am wants to speak with ye.” 

“Why should I speak with her?” he asked. 

The man shrugged. “‘Cause those who don’t, don’t like what comes after. Now get walkin.’” He gestured for Jason to pass through the center of the group and continue down the hallway. 

He glared at them, walking past. Even if their bullets wouldn’t hurt him, he didn’t need them to know that yet. Not if they were going to take him to where Tim was. The barrel of the gun settled between his shoulder blades, guiding him down the hallway towards the center room. 

He picked up two heat signatures as they turned the last corner, Tim’s cell signal stronger than ever. His glare deepened as they turned the last corner. Neither of them were right for Tim’s size. 

Jason stepped through the doorway, finding a woman sitting with her legs crossed in a chair and a larger man standing behind her. 

“Welcome,” the woman said. “I’m so glad you were able to join us.” 

“Where’s Tim?” he growled. 

“Oh my,” she said, uncrossing her legs and standing from the chair to walk over to him, heels clicking on the floor. “You’re quite protective for an android. I must say I wasn’t expecting that.” 

“Who are you?” 

“I’m Ma’am. I’m in charge of things around here,” she explained, walking around him in a wide circle. 

Jason turned with her, keeping his attention on the other men surrounding him. “What did you want with Tim?” 

“I wanted him to build an android for me.” 

“And you had to kidnap him for it?” 

She chuckled. “Of course. I couldn’t just let his genius remain in the hands of Wayne Enterprises. And I wasn’t about to try and partner with them to get ahold of this technology. So, I decided to take him for my own in the hopes he would be more cooperative.” 

“Where. Is. He,” Jason spat. 

She sighed. “He’s getting acquainted with Zeus who’s trying to talk some sense into him. He hasn’t been very cooperative these past few hours. I’m hoping he’ll finally see some sense and agree to work with me.” 

Jason’s eyes narrowed, his vision nearly turning a strange shade of green. 

“I can take you to him,” she continued, sly smile pulling at her lips. “Maybe when he sees you it’ll be enough and we can finally get down to business.” 

“Take me to him,” he said, voice low. 

An alert popped up on the corner of his screen warning against his temperature levels. The temperature of the room was normal, normal enough the humans had no problem inhabiting it, but he was clocking in at a higher reading than normal. Some of his systems could shut down if he didn’t cool down. 

She smirked and strode past him. “This way.” 

Jason followed her, the men with guns closing in around him. His fingers flexed at his sides. He didn’t much care about the men trying to intimidate him. He just wanted to find Tim and get him out of whatever this place was. 

He nearly ground his teeth together as they leisurely made their way back to the stairwell. He needed to get to Tim. He had to make sure he was okay. He didn’t trust anyone in this building. Tim had taught him a little bit about the law and what was good or allowed in the world. He knew this wasn’t it. 

Jason maintained an extended reach with his sensors, searching for any signs of other bodies as they passed floor after floor, travelling deeper into the depths of the underground. 

It wasn’t until they were 13 floors down he sensed two bodies, one of them strapped to a chair and matching Tim’s proportions. He stepped forward, ready to push past everyone in front of him. 

“Ah, ah, ah,” the woman said, placing her hand on the handle of the door. “If you can’t be patient I won’t let you see him at all.” 

“Let me through,” he growled. 

“Hey,” one of the men behind him snapped, jabbing him in the back with the barrel of his gun. “You’ll respect the Ma’am while you’re here.” 

“Let me through, please,” he bit out. 

She smiled. “So he _ has _ taught you some manners. Or programmed them into you. Either way, I’m impressed.” 

Jason felt like one of his wires was about to snap. 

She hummed and turned the handle, pushing the door open. Jason rushed forward as soon as the path was clear, picking up Tim’s elevated heart rate and the tremors shaking his body. His breathing was heavier than normal. 

“Tim,” Jason said, at his side in an instant. 

“J-Jay?” he asked, raising his head. 

Jason could see his eyes were slightly unfocused. He had a cut along his cheek and another on his neck. His toenails from both feet were missing, blood still seeping out over the edges. Both his forearms were covered in a criss-cross of cuts, still raw but having stopped bleeding long ago. 

“No,” Tim gasped, struggling against the bonds holding him to the chair. “No, you can’t be here. They want you Jay. You can’t be anywhere near them.” 

“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HIM?” he roared, turning on the group behind him. 

“Jay…” Tim croaked. 

“I told you he needed some persuasion,” the woman said, crossing her arms. 

“I’m going to rip you all to shreds.” 

The men behind her looked on calmly, guns still pointed at his chest. 

“You’re going to do no such thing,” she hissed. 

Everything around Jason looked green. His circuits fired at a rapid rate, the connections uninterrupted. He was angry. He didn’t know how he knew but he was beyond angry. He was furious and he didn’t want any of these people to leave the room alive. 

Gunshots sounded in the distance. 

“What the hell is that?” the woman barked, turning on her heel. “You and you, go find out.” 

They nodded and rushed back into the hallway, making for the stairs. 

“The rest of you: take both packages and get them secured. I don’t want them anywhere near each other,” she continued. “I’m going to check on whatever’s going on upstairs.” 

She left the room and Jason felt the last of his control ready to snap as her men moved to surround him. 

Jason grinned as they closed in. He was looking forward to hurting the men who hurt Tim. They didn’t deserve to leave this room. Not after what they’d done. 

“Jay-” Tim started behind him. 

The group rushed forward, some using the extended reach of their guns to try and smack him alongside his head. Jason caught the barrels in his fists, crushing them instantly. Metal splinters rained down around his feet. 

He swept his leg out, knocking most of the group off their feet to the ground. They landed in a heap while two men remained standing, one of them holding a bat. 

The man with the bat raised it over his head and shouted a battle cry, charging forward. Jason kicked him in the stomach, causing him to make a sickening choking sound as he flew backwards towards the doorway. 

Jason was more than a little satisfied when he made no move to get up. 

The second man rushed forward, movements sloppy and obviously untrained. Jason grabbed him by the shirt and threw him to the opposite side of the room. 

“Motherfucker,” one man laying at his feet swore. He struggled against the pile of bodies he was in, all of them fighting to get up and kicking and hitting each other as they fought to gain traction. 

Two of them got to their feet. Jason avoided the wild swings they sent in his direction and grabbed the backs of their shirts, tossing them across the floor. They rolled and bounced several times before slowing to a stop. 

“Stay down or I’ll break every bone in your body,” he growled at the squirming pile of people in front of him. 

They stilled, staring up at him with wide eyes. Jason turned on his heel and walked over to where Tim was still strapped to his chair, Zeus nowhere to be found. 

“Jay…” Tim said, voice hoarse. 

“I’m getting you out of here and taking you home,” he said, ripping the shackles holding him down. Jason scooped him up into his harms, keeping the hold gentle. 

The men strewn across the floor watched him as he walked past and through the hall. The gunshots sounded closer this time, but weren’t as frequent. 

“How’d you find me?” 

Jason glanced down at him, the corners of his vision still tinted green. “Tracked your cell signal. It wasn’t in your apartment, so I figured I could ping your last locations as you moved. Once I got started, it wasn’t hard to follow the trail.” 

“Jason?” 

“Yes, Tim?” 

“Thank you,” he sighed. 

“Anything for you, Tim.” 


	8. Chapter 8

The gunshots went quiet as they climbed through the stairwell back to the first floor. When they reached the fifth floor they found a police force handcuffing several individuals. 

“Do you have a medical team on standby?” Jason asked. 

They tensed at the unexpected voice after not hearing him approach, but relaxed at seeing him cradling Tim in his arms. 

“There’s an ambulance at the end of the drive,” one of the officers said, hiking a thumb over his shoulder. “Officers have cleared out the above floors.” 

Jason nodded. “I left a large group on one of the floors below. There could be more of them, too.” 

“We’ll clear out the bottom floors. As long as they don’t have an exit we shouldn’t have any problems,” the officer said. 

“I wouldn’t rule it out,” Tim croaked. “They seem to have some pretty advanced tech and resources.” 

“Understood, Mr. Drake. We’ll get moving immediately.” 

The officer turned and barked orders for several officers to follow him down to the lower levels. Jason stepped to the side as they ran past. Once they’d descended below, Jason continued upwards, passing other people who’d already been handcuffed. 

He didn’t see the woman responsible among them and hoped she’d already been taken out of the building. He wouldn’t be able to relax if she’d managed to get away after what she did. 

Jason’s eyes adjusted as he stepped through the doorway. The lawn surrounding the building was filled with police cars and vans. A few officers were standing around with their heads together. 

One of them glanced at him and immediately smacked the arm of the man next to him. The rest of the group looked in Jason’s direction, mouths falling open. 

“What happened?” the first one asked, running over to Jason. “How’d you get out?” 

“Most of the culprits have been apprehended,” Jason explained. “Tim’s health was my utmost priority. Do you have a medic available?” 

“Yes, yes of course, this way,” he said, ushering him over towards the ambulance. 

The medics jumped up as they approached, waving Jason inside to place Tim on the gurney. Tim winced as he settled into place and when Jason moved to step away to give the medics space to work on Tim, he grabbed his arm, eyes wide and panicked. 

“I’ll be right here,” Jason said, stepping behind the gurney where he was as far out of the way as he could be. “I’m not going anywhere,” he murmured, placing a hand on Tim’s shoulder. 

Tim let out a shaky breath and nodded. 

Two medics moved around him, one of them cleaning the cut on his cheek and neck while the other worked to wrap his toes. Tim bit his lip, hissing at the burn of the antiseptic. 

“Mr. Drake, excuse the interruption,” one of the officers said, coming back around. “We’ve contacted Mr. Wayne that you’ve been found and he’s bringing a car around to pick you up and bring you back to the city. Before you leave, we’d like to ask you a few questions if you don’t mind.” 

“That’s fine,” Tim said reluctantly. 

“Give us a few more minutes and we’ll be finished here,” the medic working on Tim’s feet said. 

The officer nodded. “I’ll be right around the corner.” 

Jason monitored Tim’s breathing. It was still strained, but more relaxed now that he was being taken care of. Tim’s posture was still stiff even though he was sitting in an ambulance outside. 

The medic working on Tim’s neck and cheek finished first and moved onto one of his arms, the other medic quickly taking the other one. 

Jason watched as Tim’s arms became covered in white gauze, giving him the appearance of wearing long sleeves underneath the ripped remains of his dress shirt. 

“There we are,” the lead medic said with a smile. “We’ll leave you to it.” 

They jumped down off the back, letting the officer climb inside again. 

“How are you doing Mr. Drake?” he asked, settling down on one of the perches the medics were using. 

“Better now.” 

He nodded. “We’re not going too in depth, I just need to know what you remember from the past day.” 

Tim nodded. “I went home last night. When I got into my apartment I was grabbed from behind. I never got a look at who took me, but I guess that doesn’t really matter much now. They gave me a sedative and I fell asleep. Next thing I knew, I was waking up in this building and was chained to the floor. Christy Langford is the name of the woman in charge of the operation. She wanted me to build androids for her.” 

“Was she also the person who caused you harm?” 

“No, that was another man by the name of Zeus.” 

The officer nodded, making a few more notes on his pad of paper. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Drake. Here’s my card if you remember anything else that you think could be helpful. Please be aware that we may ask you to come into court and testify.” 

Tim nodded, gripping the card between his fingers. “I understand.” 

“Excuse me, sir?” 

They looked up at the deputy who’d come around the back of the ambulance. 

“What is it?” 

“Mr. Wayne has arrived to pick up Mr. Drake if you’re finished.” 

“We are,” he said, getting to his feet. He jumped out of the back of the ambulance and turned back to Tim. “I wish you the best of luck, Mr. Drake. We’ll be in touch.” 

Tim nodded. He took a deep breath when they were finally alone. 

“Are you ready?” Jason asked. 

Tim glanced over his shoulder at him. “I think so.” 

“Can you walk?” 

He nodded and pushed himself to the edge, hissing when he got to his feet. 

“Let me carry you,” Jason said, moving to pick him up. 

“You really don’t have to,” he argued weakly. 

“Bullshit. You’re in a lot of pain and hurting yourself more than you need to right now.” 

Tim hesitated, but nodded. 

Jason scooped him up into his arms, stepping down out of the back of the ambulance. He swung around the corner, barely making it two steps before Dick and Bruce sprinted towards them. 

“Tim!” Dick cried, getting to them first. “Are you okay?!” 

Tim nodded. “As okay as I can be.” 

“We’re glad you’re alright,” Bruce said, glancing up at Jason. “We should get you home.” 

“Please,” he said with a sigh. 

Jason looked down at where Tim was curled in his arms, looking so small and fragile. 

“Jason, if you wouldn’t mind?” Bruce said, waving to the car. 

He nodded and started forward, glaring at any of the officers who gave them curious looks. Tim didn’t need to be made into a spectacle. And he hoped whatever was coming in the next few days would stay quiet. 

Media attention was the last thing they needed more of. 

Dick pulled open the door and Jason gently set Tim inside the car. He was going to pull back when Tim scooted farther inside and tugged on Jason’s arm. Jason let himself be guided into the car and pulled the door shut. Bruce climbed in on the other side and Dick took the front next to the driver. 

“Where shall I take us?” the driver asked. 

“Take me home, please,” Tim whispered. 

“Very good, Master Timothy. I’ll take you home presently.” 

Tim nodded, staring down at his lap as they started down the path leading through the trees. 

~~

Jason kept a close eye on Tim during the ride back to his apartment. 

“Tim, I really don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be staying in a place where you were so easily kidnapped,” Bruce argued as Alfred pulled up to the front of the building. 

“It’s the best I’ve got,” Tim muttered. “I’m not really in the mood to go anywhere else.” 

“At least come to the Manor for a little while…” Dick offered. 

Tim shook his head. “I really can’t.” 

Bruce turned to Jason. “Jason-” 

“I won’t leave him alone,” he said, leveling Bruce with an unkind stare. 

Bruce nodded. “Good.” 

“Let’s go,” Tim sighed, trying to push Jason out the door. 

“Tim-” Dick said, looking like he wanted to reach for Tim but afraid that whatever contact he made would break him. 

“Later, Dick,” Tim said, not giving him a chance to argue further. He knew Bruce had several things he wanted to say, but he didn’t want to hear them right now. He wanted rest and the one person he felt he could stand being around was his android. 

Jason climbed from the back of the car, helping Tim get to his feet. He winced at the pressure on his toes. Jason hooked an arm under his legs and lifted him into his arms. 

Tim sighed and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Thanks Jason,” he murmured. 

Jason nodded and crossed the sidewalk, oblivious to any of the curious looks some pedestrians were giving them. He kept Tim cradled against his chest with one arm and pushed open the door to the apartment complex with his free hand. 

The desk attendant looked up at their entrance and dropped their pen. 

“Mr. Drake, is everything alright?” 

“Fine,” he muttered. 

Jason nodded at the attendant and crossed the lobby to the elevators. He pressed the call button and the one on their left opened right away. He stepped inside and pressed the button for the top floor. 

Tim shifted in his grip as they rode up to his floor. Jason tried to adjust his grip, thinking Tim was getting uncomfortable or stiff, but nothing he did seemed to help Tim’s predicament. 

“Would you like me to set you down?” he asked when they reached the top floor and the doors slid open. 

“Not yet. Let’s just get inside first.” 

Jason strode down the hallway. He turned the knob to Tim’s door and pushed it open. He carefully stepped through the doorway, keeping Tim from bumping into the frame. He shut and locked the door tightly behind them. 

The lights were still off, the curtains barely parted over the windows on the opposite wall, letting in a sliver of sunlight that draped over the couch cushions. 

“You can put me down now,” Tim said. 

Jason set him on his feet and watched as he got used to the painful feeling. 

“I’m going to go get changed. You can have a seat on the couch or do whatever.” 

Jason nodded, watching Tim’s shoulders stiffen as he turned and hobbled into the depths of his apartment. He listened to Tim as he moved around his bedroom, opening drawers and pulling out a clean pair of clothes. 

Jason moved around the living room, inspecting each corner. He opened the curtains, letting the afternoon sun in. The kitchen was spotless, no doubt from disuse than diligence considering how much time Tim spent at the lab. And failed to cook in general. 

He froze when he heard a choking sound coming from Tim’s bedroom. 

Jason turned, eyes fixed on the hallway leading to the bedroom. He listened intently, trying to determine exactly what he’d heard. 

The sound came again, too low for a human to hear but not for his heightened perception. 

Tim was crying. He hiccuped and gasped, sound muffled either from a pillow or his hands. 

Jason shuffled down the hall. He paused in front of Tim’s closed door, listening for a few seconds. He raised his hand and gently knocked. 

Tim jerked inside, back hitting the side of his bed as he sniffed and fought to get his breathing under control. 

“Y-yeah?” he asked. 

“Is there anything I can get for you? Do you need anything?” 

Tim sniffled. “Um…” he started, voice thick. “I don’t know if there’s anything you can do that’s going to fix this.” 

“Maybe not, but I can at least make you as comfortable as possible while you try and heal.” 

Tim was quiet for a moment. Jason didn’t think he was going to reply and was prepared to leave him alone when he heard the bed squeak. 

“Okay,” he whispered. “Okay, you can come in.” 

Jason turned the handle, pushing it open. The room was dark. Tim was sitting on the edge of the bed, head down. 

Jason walked over, sitting down next to him. After a moment he wrapped his arm around Tim’s shoulders and pulled him against his side in a half-hug. 

Tim sniffed, his weak composure quickly breaking. He twisted his hand in Jason’s shirt and buried his head in his shoulder, sobbing freely. 

Jason tightened his hold as he felt the dampness sink through the fabric of his shirt. 

He wasn’t able to protect Tim when he was first kidnapped, but he would damn well keep him safe from anything or anyone else who tried to hurt him. 

~~

Tim stared at the opposite end of the couch, mindlessly playing with the ends of his hoodie sleeves. After about an hour he couldn’t take the sight of the gauze wrapped around his arms anymore and needed to cover up. 

Jason was in the kitchen doing...something. He’d said something about getting Tim something to eat, but other than ordering takeout he wasn’t exactly sure what Jason was planning. 

Memories lingered behind his line of sight, waiting to take over and suck him back into that room. Each time he unwittingly curled his toes he was reminded of the pain of having each of the nails pulled out. 

He hadn’t thought he was going to die, but he wasn’t sure how he was going to stay sane. Especially if it went on too much longer. 

And then he’d seen the most beautiful green. It was warm when it was on him, and terrifying when turned on anyone else. Tim wanted to wrap himself up in the color and never leave the comfort and safety it provided. 

He had no idea Jason’s eyes could even do that. But Jason always seemed to be surprising him, even from day one. He could’ve easily left him alone at the hands of his kidnappers. It wouldn’t have mattered much to a normal robot, but Jason had chosen to come after him. He wasn’t going to give up on him. 

“Tim?” 

He glanced up, finding Jason behind the couch, looking down at him. 

“What’s up?” 

“You’ve been very quiet. Are you doing okay?” 

Tim twisted his sleeves in his hands, tugging at the ends. He shrugged, knowing Jason would have no trouble catching the movement. 

Jason walked around the opposite side of the couch and sat down across from him. 

“What do you usually do for fun?” 

Tim’s lips twisted up into some shadow of a smile. “Most of my time is spent in the lab working on android designs and programming. I think that’s pretty fun when I don’t have an android trying to kill me or destroy half the building.” 

“Hobbies. What hobbies do you have?” Jason said with a roll of his eyes. 

Tim paused, trying to remember the last time he had time to really do anything. “I like movies, I guess. I don’t really do much outside of the lab.” 

“Workaholic,” Jason muttered. “What movies do you have?” 

“They’re all saved on the T.V.” Tim grabbed the remote and powered it up, crossing his legs underneath him. He pulled up the movies he had in his account. The list was pretty extensive. Longer than what he actually expected and once again he was reminded how long it had been since he’d last really sat down and done something for himself. 

“Pick something you want to watch. I’m going to finish making you something to eat,” Jason said, pushing himself from the couch. 

Tim settled against the couch cushions, not giving much thought to Jason’s movements around the kitchen as he scrolled through the list of titles. When he got to the  _ Lord of the Rings _ trilogy he clicked on it, setting up the first movie to play. 

“Here.” 

Tim blinked when a plate with a large sandwich and fresh apple slices was shoved into his face. He looked up at Jason who nodded for him to take it. 

“Thanks,” he murmured, taking the plate and tucked it between his crossed legs. He pressed play and bit into one of the apple slices, sighing at the cool flavor. His stomach growled, demanding more food from him and Tim realized it really had been almost a day since his last meal. 

He picked up the sandwich, taking a bite from the corner. His brain focused on the opening scenes and he mindlessly took another bite, giving little thought to his surroundings. 

The pressure of the plate on his lap disappeared as he nibbled the end of his last apple slice. He blinked, glancing over his shoulder to find Jason walking back to the kitchen. He turned back to the movie, drawing his knees up to his chest. 

Tim felt the couch dip next to him and shifted into a more stable position. He rested his chin on his crossed arms over his knees, barely blinking as one scene shifted to the next. 

A blanket found its way around his shoulders and Tim didn’t even question it, pulling it tighter around him. 

~~

Tim shifted, stretching his legs out across Jason’s lap. He blinked lazily, not registering where they were in the second movie anymore. His cheek was pressed against Jason’s shoulder and Jason’s arm was around his back, keeping him close. 

“You should get to bed,” Jason murmured above his head. 

He shrugged. “That’s a lot of work.” 

“Come on,” Jason said, nudging him up into a sitting position. 

Tim grumbled, but let himself be guided. His legs were heavy and he would’ve felt content dragging his feet if the first brush of his toes didn’t send a jolt of pain through his foot. He hissed and gently placed each foot in front of the other. 

He felt Jason’s hand hovering just over his lower back, ready to catch him in case he stumbled or fell. 

They bypassed the bathroom and Tim made a beeline for the bed, tossing the blankets to the side. He lowered himself onto his side, slipping his feet underneath his blankets and pulling them around his shoulders. 

“I’ll be in the other room if you need me,” Jason said. 

Tim nodded, eyes already sliding shut against his will. 

~~

Jason stared at the open doorway leading to Tim’s bedroom. Tim’s breathing wasn’t as even as he was hoping for, but he couldn’t blame him for being tense after what he’d been through. Most websites and forums he’d scoured suggest trauma was going to be likely after such an event. At this point he was just waiting for it to manifest. 

When they were sitting on the couch watching movies, Tim had been warm at his side. He didn’t want to get him up and get him in bed because he didn’t want that feeling to go away, but he knew sleep was necessary for Tim’s health and he wasn’t going to force him to sleep sitting on the couch. 

His systems felt hot, like he was on the verge of overheating or having a breakdown. He hadn’t stressed his operating systems that much even when he fought the group of men trying to stop him from freeing Tim. 

Everything had functioned as it should then and it wasn’t until they were back at Tim’s apartment that his readings started slipping. He continued to get warnings that he was overheating, but his capacity wasn’t becoming affected by it. 

And when Tim was tucked against his side on the couch, there was an alert he was in danger of shutting down, but nothing happened. He was completely fine and Tim didn’t notice any difference in his external temperature. Jason was sure he would’ve mentioned something if he did. 

A noise came from Tim’s room and Jason straightened, straining his systems to pick up any and all sound. 

It came again and Jason was out of his seat in an instant and through the bedroom door. 

Tim’s breathing was heavy, the blankets tangled around his legs. He was curled tightly on his side, soft whimpers falling from his lips. 

Jason walked around the side of the bed and kneeled on the soft carpet. He placed his hands over Tim’s fists and gave them a quick squeeze. 

“Tim,” he murmured. “Tim, wake up.” 

Tim continued to shake, oblivious to Jason’s presence at his side. 

“Tim, wake up,” Jason said, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. 

The bed dipped, forcing Tim to shift. He gasped and sat upright, chest heaving as he looked around with wild eyes. 

“What-”

“Tim, you’re safe,” Jason said, hands hovering over his shoulders. 

Tim turned back towards him. “Jason?” 

“You’re okay,” Jason said. “You were asleep. You were dreaming.” 

“I thought…” Tim said, glancing over his shoulder. He sniffed, wiping the back of his hand under his nose. Jason could see the tremors running through his hands. His heart was beating wildly in his chest and he was sweating more than normal. 

“It was a dream. You’re safe here. I’m not going to let anything hurt you.” 

Tim nodded, gaze still distant. “Do you think…do you think you could stay with me? Please?” 

“Yes,” Jason said. He moved around the bed, situating himself against the headboard. Tim watched him for a few moments, nervous and uncertain. 

He finally moved, crawling up the bed to sit shoulder-so-shoulder with Jason. His posture was stiff, fingers picking at his pajama pants as he stared at the comforter strewn across the bed. Jason waited, seeing if he would relax and find a position more comfortable. 

When Tim made no move, Jason wrapped his arm around Tim’s shoulders and pulled him against his side. Tim let out a long breath, shoulders relaxed as he sagged against Jason’s side. Jason rubbed circles on his bicep, hoping the gesture was soothing. 

Tim turned into his side, placing a hand on his stomach as his eyes slid shut. Jason listened to his careful breaths move in and out of his lungs. His heart slowed to a comfortable rhythm and the smell of sweat wasn’t as potent. Jason was pleased his trembling had stopped completely. 

Tim wouldn’t be asleep anytime soon, but Jason knew getting even a small amount of sleep would be better than being kept awake by his lingering fear and adrenaline. 

Jason was going to fight to keep Tim safe as long as possible. No one was going to hurt him again. 

**Author's Note:**

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